Alice in Undertale
by Lolitafreak88
Summary: What if by some curious opportunity, instead of Wonderland... it was the Underground, the realm of monsters that Alice fell down the rabbit hole into? It's a world just as curious, with as many colorful characters, and things to discover... but is 'kill or be killed', 'mercy or violence', 'a good time or a bad time'. Can her curiosity and imagination open up into determination?
1. A Different Sort of Rabbit Hole

Alice in Undertale Prologue

By Lolitafreak88

 _Alice… in Wonderland..._ A small ray of sunshine, and a patch of golden flowers…

 _How do you get to Wonderland?_ A ghost pretending to sleep on fallen leaves inside a temple.

 _Over the hill or Underland or just behind the tree…_ A dainty bedroom with many essentials and a slice of some sort of pie on a plate left on the floor.

 _When clouds go rolling by…_ A large door within a corridor that feels both ominous and encouraging all at once.

 _They roll away and leave the sky…_ A snowy path through a decrepit, desolate wood.

 _Where is the land beyond the isles that people cannot see..._ A pleasant-looking village featuring what appears to be a Christmas tree with presents gathered under it.

 _Where can it be…_ A statue in a wet, serene place with raindrops falling on its head illuminated by peeking light.

 _Where do stars go…_ A mysterious area where snails appear to be made to race, three snails being participants.

 _Where is the crescent moon…_ A ominous yet breathtaking mountain top with a red sky and complex buildings in the background.

 _The must be somewhere_ A quaint science laboratory…

 _In the sunny afternoon..._ A land that emits constantly boiling temperatures and seems to hold a great deal of puzzles.

 _Alice… in Wonderland…_ A single bridge laced in delicate spider webs.

 _Where is the path to Wonderland…_ A very elegant restaurant in a hotel.

 _Over the hill or here or there…_ The top floor of what appears to be a highly advanced core.

 _I wonder where..._ An opulent, golden, yet forbidding chapel hall with the light peering through stained glass windows.

Prologue: A Different Sort of Rabbit Hole

This particular day in England was too beautiful to neglect one's curiosity and need for a history lesson, as was the case for Alice. The 10-year old girl with blonde hair, a black bow in her hair, medium-length blonde hair, youthful blue eyes, and a petite figure had gone to the park with her sister to catch up on her history lesson. Adorned in a pretty blue dress with a white pinafore apron, white stockings, and mary-janes, in addition to the hidden petticoat and pantalettes, she had quickly grown bored of listening to a book that had no pictures in it. Quite specifically she described a world where the books were nothing but pictures in it to her sister.

"Your world. What nonsense." Was the response that suddenly seemed to trigger a great idea in the young girl's mind. She had begun to describe to her beloved cat Dinah, a red cat with a pink ribbon around its neck, what her ideal world would be. Alice described this world with great detail as she approached the riverbank in the park.

"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense, because nothing would be what it is and contrary-wise what it is, it wouldn't be, and what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?" Alice asked Dinah as she finished a rather complex explanation fit for a curious Victorian girl.

She was imaginative, perhaps her greatest strength and biggest weakness. So in her mind did such a world have flowers with very extra-special powers, fancy little houses for rabbits, and of course books that had nothing but pictures in it. Dinah of course, was a cat who could not exactly offer a direct opinion on this and so Alice listened to a mere,

"Meow"

"In my world, you wouldn't say 'meow', you'd say, "yes Miss Alice." Alice continued to project her ideas, curtseying gracefully to emphasize what Dinah would say in this world. Dinah made another natural reply but Alice loved Dinah quite dearly and so she accepted this answer.

"Oh but you would, you'd be just like people Dinah. And all the other animals too." Alice held Dinah as they chose to reside by the riverbank. Alice lazily dipping her finger into the water as she finished her explanation,

"Because my world would be a Wonderland." The ripples in the water spread out when suddenly a different sort of color and form reflected on the water. It appeared to be a small human child, with a green and pale yellow striped shirt, brown pants with matching shoes, and medium-length straight brown hair. The gender was quite ambiguous due to the contrast of a fairly feminine hairstyle and the casual outfit but what was most baffling was that it simply seemed out of place… very out of place. At least to Dinah anyway, who noticed while Alice was still daydreaming. Dinah immediately proceeded to try to direct Alice's attention to the very strange child who was walking by.

"Oh Dinah it is simply a small child… in such… strange clothes…" Alice at first was dismissive but as she took in the child's appearance, it was completely unlike anything people around here would wear. It was so… unusual in style and pattern… and particularly simple. _Perhaps it is some sort of foreigner_ , Alice thought to herself. At this moment she was more curious than nervous upon meeting such a stranger.

"Excuse me… where do you come from?" Alice got up and asked the child from across the stream.

She was so perplexed by the unusual style that she wanted to be more direct with her question. The young child turned to face her, but there was something extremely odd about his expression. The eyes were open yes and he seemed to be smiling but his face appeared dark… as though he was hiding some sort of secret and even the smile seemed a bit too large for what it needed to be. It only seemed to go further downhill when he or she spoke,

"From a Wonderland." Compared to Alice's voice, this voice sounded sly and cunning, and with a hint of anticipation and excitement.

"I beg your pardon but… such a place doesn't exist…" Alice, who couldn't hide her surprise at the fact he used a terminology she had just talked about, replied fidgeting her fingers.

She briefly wondered if she should go seek her sister, a slight fear building in the back of her mind. But the mention of 'Wonderland' from someone who was not herself seemed like destiny. As though if she were to believe this child, then she would most definitely find something new and wonderful and different. Furthermore it was possible this child was simply being playful and had an active imagination like her own. Though it couldn't answer all the questions about the child, Alice seemed to believe this was very safe reasoning.

"Follow me and you'll see it does. You can create this Wonderland with me." The child's voice still did not give a direct answer to its gender and it held out it's hand for Alice as though asking her to take it.

Instinctively Alice started to cross the riverbank one stepping stone at a time but as she neared the other side, the kid took off on his own pace at a fairly quick speed. What Alice couldn't hear as he ran off were words that would've most definitely had convinced Alice otherwise about going with the child,

"And eradicate it…"

"W-wait! Please!" Alice pleaded as she began to dash after the child, making it to the other side of the riverbank and hurrying the best she could.

Dinah followed right behind her as the loyal companion that she was. Alice was fairly quick and had good stamina for an imaginative thinker so she was able to keep up a good pace and could see where the mysterious child was heading. As they reached a small hill, Alice took a pause to speak with Dinah,

"Perhaps by Wonderland he means some sort of secret place or maybe it's a term that means the opposite of what it sounds like, like a party or something?"

She was attempting to make sense of how this child knew exactly what term she had created for herself. Wonderland was a nonsensical term fundamentally so for it to be known and understood so completely and so quickly seemed beyond comprehension. Furthermore, it was only in her mind yet this child was saying it existed. Either way, curiousity was driving Alice further from reality and into wherever this child was leading her. Thus it astounded her when she spotted the child kneeling and quickly crawling into what appeared to be a rabbit hole.

"My, what a peculiar place to have a party… or a Wonderland for that matter." Alice spoke mainly to herself though Dinah understood what she meant as well.

 _If I am to find out more about this Wonderland I will have to venture inside,_ Alice thought to herself though a bit anxious given everything that had just transpired. Her daydreaming of a world of her own, a mysterious child in confusing clothing knowing what she had talked about, and leading her to this rabbit hole which apparently would take her there. She hadn't even let her sister know about where she would be or where she was going… so she'd only have Dinah to accompany her. Alice had a few friends in her life but of course none of them had decided to go to this park with her so she would really have to rely on herself and Dinah to make sure this curiosity of hers didn't lead to trouble.

"So Dinah… about that… oof… child, where do you suppose they got those clothes? It almost looks like something you'd see in an entirely different country… I mean that was what perplexed me most…" Alice budged her way into the rabbit hole and spoke to Dinah as she crawled inside and deeper.

"Furthermore I distinctly heard the child say I would be creating this Wonderland… now what do you suppose that mea-ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The ground Alice had been crawling on strangely felt particularly rocky the last few times she placed her palms on it before she suddenly couldn't feel anything. Apparently she had reached the ledge of the rabbit-hole and found herself stumbling forward and eventually falling at an impressive pace. Forgetting about the child, Alice's thoughts were dominated by several unusual ideas.

"Goodbye Dinah, goodbyeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Alice's first thought took the shape of a final cry upward to where Dinah was waving goodbye from the ledge.

Beyond knowing if she would ever see Dinah again or not, the second thought that came to mind was that she would be alone and on her own in whatever this Wonderland turned out to be. Third, this must've been the way into Wonderland for the child from earlier had disappeared entirely and presumably had fallen downward like she had. Fourth, her skirt suddenly gathered air and spread out like a parachute, resulting in a slow, dainty descent downward which gave her plenty of time to consider the situation.

"Well after this I shall think nothing of- mph… of falling down stairs." Alice had to push down her apron to finish her brief epiphany as it floated into her face. Contrary to what a rabbit hole might seem, there was an unusual amount of light which appeared to be coming from above. There was still some darkness but Alice could make out many details of this hole she fell into. Namely that the walls were rocky and rough, not of dirt like a traditional rabbit-hole.

"Why this appears to be some sort of a mountain… but I don't understand, I don't recall the park being built upon a mountain… or that mountains were underground like this… perhaps I've ended up in a place with a far different geography… or perhaps another world…" Alice contemplated many of this in an inquisitive, intellectual way as she flew slowly down. She had nothing better to do after all.

"What if I should fall right through the center of the earth and come out the other side where people walk upside down? Oh, but that's silly, nobody- ghh!" Alice suddenly felt a small impact as she finally stopped descending and hit something that appeared to be a patch of golden flowers and grass.

Finally being able to stand again and get her first look at Wonderland, Alice rubbed her behind as it took the impact, and looked around. She was quite astounded to find pillars wrapped in ivy, rock formations upon the ceiling and walls, and generally what appeared to be something of historic value. At least in her world, maybe it meant something else here. Alice's curiosity grew at a rapid rate and she stood up.

"Why this appears to be a cavern… and perhaps ruins of some sort of society that once lived here… What an astonishing first impression for a world of my own. Although… it's still a bit dim... " Alice muttered worriedly as she peered into dark path that was clearly her only way of going further into this land.

The mysterious child was nowhere to be seen either. Alice was disappointed as she had hoped to have an escort or at least someone who knew this place to travel with her. She would really be going into this adventure… this Wonderland… alone. While she wasn't truly scared as apparently she could create this world and was excited to see what she may find, she definitely was not neglecting good advice.

"W-well… I suppose there's only way to explore this world further and that is to go down this path. Curiouser and curiouser…" She exclaimed to herself as she finally took the first several steps down the path.

Fortunately she could make out what appeared to be an open gate with an elaborate design and thus she walked through it hoping to see either someplace with more light, a person, or preferably that child from before. But what she found was infinitely more astonishing than all three of those put together. In a rather small room, on a patch of green grass on what appeared to be concrete like those you'd find in such ruins, was a flower. You could tell it was a flower as the room had natural lighting and it had a stem and petals much like a flower. It appeared to be a large yellow flower but what made Alice gasp was the fact it had a face. A very profound, smiling face. Suddenly her earlier musings of flowers with very extra-special powers seemed to have come true…

"Howdy! I'm FLOWEY! FLOWEY the FLOWER!" The flower spoke first as Alice was too surprised to speak and had a jovial, upbeat voice. The kind of voice you'd hear from a pleasant young man at a party.

"..." Alice still was trying to gather the fact it had a face but now that it spoke, she was even more caught off-guard and attempting to make reason of how personable it was being. That sense of personability made her realize she was being rude to the flower but the flower, Flowey, kept going.

"Hmm… you're new to the UNDERGROUND aren'tcha?"

"Y-yes, very much so and wait… the underground? I was under the impression this land was called Wonderland… though I do suppose I am underground at the moment." Alice spoke, one arm folded across her chest while the other was to her chin in a thinking position.

 _A conversation with a flower… sounds like something out of a fairy tale._ Alice thought, though she was comforted by the fact the flower seemed to care about her and was familiar with wherever she was now.

"Golly, you must be so confused. Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little old me will have to do." Flowey continued, like a breath of fresh air.

"So then I presume all flowers have the ability to speak like you and have faces as well Mr. Flowey?" Alice asked as she placed her hands together daintily.

Flowey paused for a moment with an unsure expression, or was it more like a taken aback expression? He replied,

"N-no… I'm just about the only flower like this but thanks for asking. It's nice to see someone eager to learn."

"W-well yes… I don't mean to be rude about such questioning but I had met this young child and they escorted me to this rabbit hole saying they would take me to a Wonderland… um… what other sort of things will I find here?" Alice asked, attempting to apologize about earlier while trying to gather more details.

Flowey's expressions changed shockingly quickly with each new phrase Alice spoke to him. From understanding towards the apology, confusion with slight… fear and annoyance at the description of the child, and then some concern as to the final question. Apparently this sort of discussion was not one Flowey had anticipated.

"W-well I haven't seen any sort of child dear and as for what you might find… well it's a lot easier to just show you the ropes first and foremost." Flowey recovered from shock with eagerness and excitement.

"I understand then… but I must say these appear to be some ruins… do you know wh-"

"So see kid, you have a special power around here, a SOUL. It starts off weak but it can grow stronger if you have lots of LV." Flowey interrupted Alice rudely and started to go into depth of his explanation of how things worked.

Alice frowned a bit but decided that maybe he just really wanted to help her and was impatient. So she pushed her frustration aside and nodded as he started to tell her how things worked in this apparent Underground.

"What's 'LV' stand for? Why, LOVE, of course! You want some LOVE, don't you?" Flowey asked gleefully.

"I wouldn't exactly say love but I would appreciate some companionship I suppose... " Alice admitted nervously.

She wasn't sure what sort of 'love' he meant exactly. After all it could be a romantic love which would definitely not be appropriate for Alice or the love that say she had with Dinah or her sister or something she was very fond of. So she simplified it so she'd feel more comfortable with it.

"Well with LOVE you can get that and more and I'm also going to share you some too!" Flowey finished this statement with a very playful wink and a tongue that stuck out.

Alice giggled at the amusing expression. Then something… unusual happened. Five white things emerged from Flowey as though magically conjured and twirled in the air. They were small but there was a strange glint to them in the light of the room that suggested them being of a… metallic nature. Alice gave a surprised glance as Flowey talked some more,

"Down here, LOVE is shared through… Little white… 'friendliness pellets.' Are you ready?"

Suddenly the strange feeling Alice got when she heard the kid mention Wonderland earlier returned to her except it was more ominous… She definitely couldn't ignore the suspicious pause in what he eventually called "friendliness pellets". As though he was clearly hiding something or trying to cover up a true intent. Not to mention the pellets seemed a bit too sharp than they needed to… Alice took a step back, but had a grim feeling she was trapped into whatever would happen next.

"I'm not quite-"

"Move around! Get as many as you can!" Flowey announced as the pellets suddenly moved towards Alice at a fairly fast speed.

Alice gasped and upon seeing them up close, clearly identified them as bullets. Such as the sort she had read about in history books. Quickly, she evasively ducked as the bullets missed and hit the ground behind her with a characteristic sound. Alice was suddenly very startled and scared about Flowey and as she looked up she saw Flowey with an expression that didn't help her feel more comfortable. He looked cross and annoyed with her actions.

"Hey buddy, you missed them. Let's try again, okay?" Flowey's voice also hinted at undisguised disgust with her as well.

Five more bullets appeared this time but this time Alice got up and ran out of the way to avoid the bullets. They once again hit the ground with the sound mirroring that of bullets that were fired hitting their mark. Flowey looked dismayed but Alice was determined to get a word in.

"E-excuse me sir, but those are bullets you are aiming at me! Those could kill me! What are you attempting to pull?!" She pointed at him and demanded angrily what his intentions were.

Truthfully she was scared as to what his response might be but she did feel better about having uncovered something he was clearly trying to hide. But to her horror, Flowey's expression changed most dramatically into an extremely demented, demonic grin, his eyes soulless.

" _So you figured it out huh? Trying to make me suffer and answer everything for you like some spoiled brat."_ His voice was now inhumane, indescribable, but utterly malevolent. He had nothing but contempt for Alice and it showed.

"N-no…" Alice could only mutter a weak and petrified gasp as suddenly countless bullets appeared, all surrounding Alice. She twirled her head around and weaved about unsurely as she saw that she was completely surrounded and suddenly she felt hopeless.

" _Die."_ Flowey announced like the grim reaper.

Then he cackled, he howled, a horrifying sound. Fangs prominent, a cruel expression, all spelling the end for Alice as the bullets headed forth, spinning in tandem like a ring. Alice fell to her knees, desperate, and pleaded with every fiber of her being, hands held in prayer.

"NO! Please! I-I've done nothing wrong… I-I just wanted to see what Wonderland was about… please spare me!" She even began to shed tears.

Nothing seemed to get through to him as the bullets neared dangerously closer to Alice and Alice looked utterly fragile. But then the bullets suddenly burst into flames and vanished. Flowey's devious grin suddenly shifted into a baffled fury. Before he could get anymore words out, a lone fireball or what appeared to be such blasted him away as he uttered a surprised cry and disappeared. Alice looked relieved but was also equally stunned and scared by such a display. It was purely magical and unbelievable in nature… She turned to find the source of the fireball when she saw it… and gasped. It was a tall, feminine figure with a kind face but it's species was… a goat?

"What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth... Ah, do not be afraid, my child. I am TORIEL, caretaker of the RUINS."

To Be Continued...


	2. Imagination in Ruins

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 1 Imagination in Ruins

Alice finally was able to register, after what seemed like an eternity but had truly only been a minute, who this Toriel looked like. She indeed appeared to be some sort of goat-woman, dressed in an elegant blue robe with a mysterious insignia on it and was barefoot. There was a reddish tint present in her eyes and she had an expression that was motherly and noble. It appeared that she truly was the one who had casted that fireball and ignited those bullets. Alice wasn't sure what to think right now but she knew what she needed to do. Somewhat slowly, she got up and curtsied eloquently to Toriel.

"Thank you kindly for saving my life Toriel… I… never imagined that…" Alice suddenly was struggling to gather her emotions.

In the most realistic sense, a flower that could talk had attempted to murder her here… and she hadn't even really explored anything yet. If that wasn't a terrifying premonition of what could happen should she keep exploring this land, what else could it have meant? This clearly was more than the Underground or the Wonderland, it was a place where all the creatures had extra-special powers and… used them to do horrible things. _I-I could've died,_ Alice though, _no I most certainly was about to die if she hadn't shown…_ Such thoughts and a scenario soon caused the young girl to shed even more tears.

"There, there child… I know that must've been a terrible experience but I'll protect you from here on out. I've always passed through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first human to come here in a long time." Toriel hugged Alice and attempted to give her words of comfort.

However, one statement made Alice's fears ignite…

"W-wait… d-do you mean to say there a-are no humans down here…?" Alice cried, sobbing.

"..." Toriel's expression grew somewhat grim and it appeared to be something sensitive for her to talk about.

"I-is everyone here go-going to try to kill me…? A-am I really the only human present down here…?" Alice began to beg for mercy even though it was clear Toriel meant no harm.

Toriel looked away for a moment, as though to contemplate on what to say next. After several moments, she faced Alice again.

"Child… I will ensure that you have my protection and that no harm will come to you while I'm here. Not all monsters are bloodthirsty in the Ruins… and there are ways to avoid violence. It is best if I show you to understand. Come, we shall go through the catacombs." Toriel's serious expression became a hopeful smile as she proceeded to lead the way for Alice, which consisted of moving forward into the darkness.

Alice's tears of regret and fear continued to pour… she felt like she had been kidnapped and lured into a dangerous spot. _If only my curiousity hadn't..._ Alice thought negatively. But Alice then realized that perhaps there was more to this than just a murderous flower named Flowey. This was only the first impression and while it had been very, very, very poor there was a chance that it wasn't an accurate depiction of the overall scheme of the Underground. Perhaps there were magical castles too beautiful to describe, pleasant people with fancy clothes, animals that could talk much like she had wished for Dinah, and the like. So with this small, optimistic thought and some determination, Alice wiped away her tears and followed after Toriel.

Toriel led her through another gate similar to the one from earlier where what Alice seen was by far the most breathtaking thing she had seen that day. It was a purple room with stone walls, two sets of stairways leading to an enticing open gateway, and there were red leaves much like those in autumn on the ground. There was also a stone tablet above the entrance in a text that unfortunately Alice could not read. Still this bright and mysterious room felt much more inviting and gave Alice even more hope that perhaps there was some wonder in this Underground after all. Toriel proceeded up the stairway and waited for Alice who was still in awe of what she was seeing.

"This the RUINS entrance my child. Beyond this will be your new home." Toriel spoke to Alice with a genuine happiness.

"This is very intricate and incredible… what sort of civilization lived in this ruins I wonder? It appears they were fond of autumn leaves seeing all these leaves on the ground." Alice inquired.

"This was the very first living site made by monsters after they were banished to the Underground. The monsters have since moved on and left this home behind. I have chosen to stay here for… tranquility and to see if there are any human children who could use care and nurturing." Toriel opened up many doors to Alice's curious mind.

"Banished? What do you mean by banishment? Did something transpire that caused you to be banished here?" Alice asked thoughtfully, playing with the red leaves briefly as they spoke.

Toriel looked a bit surprised at this but in a more shocked way than normal surprise, as though Alice had said a vulgar statement.

"D-do you not know of the war child…? Did your parents not tell you of it..?" Toriel asked concerned.

 _Just when I think I've been able to make sense of things,_ Alice thought as she suddenly got that nervous and scared feeling again. Considering she had been going over history just earlier this afternoon, she had definitely not heard of any war involving monsters… or even monsters being involved in history. Still Alice wondered maybe this was a different world and perhap it had it's own history and geography unlike her world… like perhaps where she was in a country of some sort and part of a big continent. Thus the monsters were banished to one country by another country and so forth.

"I-I do not recall any sort of conflict involving monsters in my world. What was the cause?" Alice asked, her hands held behind her back.

"I don't mind sharing that information with you child. If it will help you understand things better, I would be only glad to tell you such. Long ago, two race ruled over Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS. One-"

"I-I beg your pardon madame but… t-that's… I come from Earth…" Alice, clearly rattled, interrupted Toriel and made a desperate statement.

"Well that's where all humans who come down here originate so it'd be strange if you were not from Earth. Is there something wrong?" Toriel gave a caring, sensitive expression.

"Y-yes… monsters simply do not exist in my world. I-if they did… I couldn't possibly imagine how things would've turned out… and how things would be completely different from how they are at the moment... " Alice folded her arms as though cold and looked away as she said this.

Toriel looked utterly baffled at this but rather than dismiss Alice's side of the story, she attempted to understand it.

"Tell me child, where do you live?"

"I live in England… and I came here down through a rabbit hole after following a mysterious child…" Alice answered sincerely.

"That's very puzzling… didn't you fall from MT. EBOTT? That is the only way for a human to enter our world ever since the magic spell was put up." Toriel offered a question that only made Alice begin to panic.

"N-no… th-there's no such mountain in the geography of Earth… h-how could this have happened to me…? D-did I end up in some sort of parallel universe…?" Alice gasped.

Toriel sensed Alice's distress and ran to her side at once, gathering her in her arms.

"Please don't fear child, even if what you know about Earth isn't true or if there perhaps is another way into the Underground, I know you'll be safe with me and you can live a wonderful life." Toriel's voice was so calming and caring.

"B-but… well… can you please finish your story?" Alice asked, trying to at least keep her composure.

"So a war occurred where the humans won over us… and imprisoned us to the underground. We've lived like this for many years." Toriel explained.

"... That seems like a very sad story… if it truly did happen t-then it means something very bizarre happened to me…" Alice squeaked weakly, feeling as though gravity was pulling her down.

If this was Earth to the monsters… and yet Alice's Earth had no monsters… what if somehow she had been transported into the future? What if it was that parallel universe she had thought from earlier? There were a number of curious but no longer very forgiving possibilities of what became of her when she fell down that rabbit hole. Had she perhaps fallen into what the monsters called Mt. Ebott with it not being a real mountain? Was she dreaming… still dreaming…? While Alice's imagination was struggling to cope, her curiousity and the fact that there was clearly more to this world beyond Flowey gave her enough determination to accept this. _I wonder if I'll ever see Dinah again…_ the only nagging thought Alice had at the moment.

"There are many bizarre things about this land, perhaps what happened to you is magical in nature and can be remedied with magic. But for now come my child." Toriel spoke firmly yet lovingly like a mother as she took Alice's hand and led her up the stairs.

"T-thank you very much Toriel. You are truly a wonderful woman." Alice complemented with the best smile she could manage at the moment.

"O-oh dear… you are very welcome child. I simply want the best for you. I will also help answer any concerns you may have to the best of my abilities." Toriel comforted Alice a bit shyly from the compliment.

Alice was indeed still distressed but she decided there must be more waiting for her in the Underground that she would like or would give her comfort. Perhaps there was a way to return home safe and sound as well if magic was involved. Though magic was already quite an arcane subject on Earth, her sister dismissing the idea it existed whenever Alice brought up an daydream that involved magic. Still whatever the reason, it existed here… and that's what made Alice feel a bit special but also very vulnerable.

"Welcome to your new home, innocent one." Toriel spoke almost like some sort of guide as they entered the Ruins.

What Alice saw was another door with a similar insignia to what was on Toriel's robes, as well as six unusual stone steps on the ground and and another tablet along the wall. There was also a mysterious yellow switch to the right of the door. Alice looked puzzled at this being her home.

"I do not mean to intrude your idea of home ma'am but… I don't really see how this could be a home." Alice said.

Toriel giggled and gave her reply,

"There's more than meets the eye to these Ruins my dear child. Allow me to educate you in such." She then proceeded to walk along those six stone steps, or more precisely four of them, in a unique pace and timing before activating a switch on the wall.

As soon as this done, the door opened almost instantly to Alice's amazement. It meant that there was some subtle puzzles and inner workings to these ruins. Alice did always love puzzles and riddles and the like so she began to feel more excited at this knowledge.

"I see… so these ruins have puzzles that must be solved before moving from room to room. That sounds quite extraordinary, did you create these puzzles yourself Toriel?" Alice asked with her hands clasped.

"I did my child, please adjust yourself to the sight of them. These puzzles help keep me and eventually you safe from any who wish to harm or cause trouble to us. Let us keep going." Toriel replied with a gentle smile and went through the door.

Alice, being the curious little girl that got her here, stopped to read the text on the wall as it was now level to her and she could read its words.

"Only the fearless may proceed. Brave ones, foolish ones. Both walk not the middle road.' What very wise words… it is true that I am a bit frightened but I must trust Toriel and trust my own hope if I am to ever move forward." Alice rambled to herself, finding this enough to lift her spirits.

Alice then followed after Toriel to see the biggest room yet in the Underground. There was a sign, flowing rivers with separate bridges to cross, a sign with a text along the wall, ivy, and switches that appeared to have yellow markings painted around them that directed one's attention to them. The complexity to these ruins were very endearing to Alice though she did begin to wonder what the outside of these ruins looked like. Still for now her curiousity was more than satisfied.

"To make progress here, you will need to trigger several switches. Do not worry, I have labeled the ones you need to flip." Toriel explained and then walked to the other end of the room.

"Thank you." Alice curtsied as she expressed her gratitude. She then proceeded to examine things.

The sign was confusing as it described how to read signs even though Alice figured that was fundamental. The new text in this room was simply a warning to stay on the path. _Definitely would be wisest to stay on the path here,_ Alice considered. Finding herself slightly disappointed, she pressed the switches under Toriel's direction and noticed how some spikes that prevented exit in this room on the right side sank to the ground after doing such. It seemed to have worked and Toriel confirmed it,

"Splendid! I am proud of you, little one. Let us move to the next room."

Alice was feeling a bit embarrassed at all this praise, it was definitely appreciated though maybe lacking some modesty. Still she felt much better being with Toriel than alone so she welcomed it as she skipped into the next room. Most unusually there was not much to this room besides a very peculiar dummy of some sort. Not like a puppet but more like something kids would use as target practice for a game of some sorts. Before Alice could even theorize what this dummy was possibly used for Toriel spoke again,

"As a human living in the UNDERGROUND, monsters may attack you. You will need to be prepared for this situation."

"These monsters… they'd really want to hurt me…? B-but how can I possibly defend myself against what I don't know or have no ways of doing such?" Alice demanded with honest worry.

"Worry not my child. The process is simple. When you encounter a monster, you will enter a FIGHT. While you are in a FIGHT, strike up a simple conversation. Stall for time. I will come to resolve the conflict." Toriel explained.

"Well I do like conversing with others and that Flowey character was quite capable of talking… but is that really a legitimate way of handling a life or death situation here?" Alice asked with an arm gesture to accompany it. Toriel closed her eyes briefly, as though she had been considering this question and was carefully selecting her answer.

"Believe me, between mercy and violence, I believe most strongly in mercy." Toriel's eyes opened to show an intense resolve of that committed to their duty and she spoke particularly serious in it as well.

Such confidence meant that the answer would be near impossible to deny. Alice felt very enlightened by such a thing. Truly, she herself would never ever dream of becoming violent with somebody yet it was true she had been thinking of ways to handle the monsters down here. Among them was a very last resort sort of choice to try to harm them before they could harm her but to hear with such confidence that mercy could work here and was a preferred method down here… she nodded. She was definitely going to try to find the peaceful method in these situations. Besides, maybe some of these creatures only needed a conversation to feel better or maybe some creatures were nice.

"Practice talking to the dummy." Toriel ordered gently.

Alice nodded again and moved in front of the strange dummy. Feeling slightly anxious about what to say she decided to go for a simple introduction.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance sir… my name is Alice. What is your name?" Alice even curtsied elegantly as she introduced herself to seem pleasant.

After a brief moment, it was clear the dummy wasn't much for conversation. Alice seemed stumped for a moment until Toriel spoke.

"Alice… Alice…"

Alice looked both amazed and confused when she heard Toriel address her name and she turned around to see Toriel looking at Alice proudly but also clearly examining her. Such a look was a bit interesting as it seemed that Toriel was judging Alice for more than just how she handled the dummy. Alice wondered why she hadn't introduced herself formally to Toriel earlier considering that Toriel had been calling her 'child' all this time. Perhaps she had been so shaken by Flowey's murder attempt that she hadn't considered it and Toriel never asked her. Alice looked timidly at Toriel, completely unsure of what to say next.

"Y-yes… that is my name Alice. I do apologize for not telling you my name earlier, there had been a lot to take in and it had slipped my mind." She offered what she felt was a reasonable explanation.

Toriel gasped as she realized she had gotten lost in her thoughts. She shook her head and told Alice,

"Oh I am sorry Alice… it's just such a beautiful name and I haven't met an 'Alice' yet from the human world. You also did very good with the dummy. You should be very proud of yourself." She then headed further into the ruins.

"..." Alice was blushing a bit, such motherly comments inevitably led to such an effect, and was wondering more about Toriel now than ever before. She seemed like a perfectly pleasant person and a caring figure. It made her want to know what brought her here, what drove her to protect the humans who fell in the Underground, and basically more about her interests and hobbies. Recovering from this idle daydream, Alice followed after Toriel.

This room appeared to be a lot more simple than the other rooms and was a long corridor with ivy on the walls. Toriel mentioned there being another puzzle in the room and wondered if Alice could solve it. As they carried on their way, something extraordinary happened. A strange, frog-like creature leapt out at Alice and stood in her path.

"OHH!" Alice gasped aloud and surprised. It certainly looked like a frog though there was something under it with eyes that moved about. Even stranger, upon looking at the creature, she identified it as… a Froggit? _How is that possible?_ Alice thought as the strange term seemed to appear in her head and be completely understood in that instant. Before she could recount what Toriel had taught her about doing things, Toriel gave a severe glare towards the Froggit. The Froggit, understandably intimidated, proceeded to leave Alice and Toriel alone.

Neither of them said a word and continued to go onward. Alice did take the time to read a text that described the western room as the eastern room's blueprint which seemed very curious to Alice. Soon, the two of them reached a path that was completely lined up with menacing spikes. It seemed to be the sort of path that couldn't be crossed but Toriel had another idea in mind.

"Here, take my hand for a moment." Toriel said to Alice. Alice nodded, knowing Toriel knew far more than she did and taking the goat woman's hand, soon learned that the spikes went down if you stood in close proximity towards a certain area.

Staying as close to Toriel as possible, Alice and Toriel weaved their way through the spiky trail and soon reached the other side. Alice commended Toriel on her knowledge,

"It is definitely reassuring to have you to escort me through these Ruins Toriel. I can't possibly fathom getting through any of this on my own."

"I think you seem like a very smart girl Alice. I have confidence you could make it through some of these puzzles but for now they seem too dangerous for you to go for alone." Toriel spoke supportively and moved along to the next room with Alice close behind.

"You have done excellently thus far my child. However.. I have a difficult request to ask of you. … I would like you to walk to the end of your room by yourself. Forgive me for this." Toriel suddenly made what appeared to be a very hard thing for Alice to accept.

In this very big, vast hallway, Alice was to walk alone from one end of the hall to the other. Toriel would not be there with her. Before Alice had time to think, Toriel quickly went off and disappeared.

"Oh dear…" Alice muttered to herself insecurely.

But then she began to think more clearly about what Toriel had just said.

"If I am to believe she wants me to walk to the other end of the hall by myself… then surely that means she'll be waiting on the other end of the hall for me. Yes this is very much a trick scenario of trying to make me feel alone when she'll still be watching over me." Alice thought aloud and came with an amusing conclusion.

With no more fear about what Toriel had just said, Alice did just that. She walked down the hallway at a simple pace. There was not much to see so she mainly kept herself entertained by imagining some curious things. Like a cheshire cat with a very large grin and a game of croquet played with animals as the mace and the ball… It was one of her favorite hobbies and pastimes and could keep her endlessly entertained. But she also contemplated more serious matters, such as how she was to return home and if she truly had somehow ended up in the future. As intriguing as that may sound on paper to any avid reader, it was extremely terrifying to find yourself in unfamiliar circumstances such as those in actuality. Twiddling her fingers a bit, she soon approached a very large pillar near the end of the hall and as she neared, Toriel came from behind it to greet Alice. Alice resisted a giggle of satisfaction for guessing correctly.

"Greetings, my child. Do not worry, I did not leave you. I was merely behind this pillar the whole time" Toriel spoke as though the whole scenario was unpredictable.

"I don't mean to discredit your lesson on independence but I kind of figured out what you were planning based on what you had told me Toriel." Alice spoke and finally giggled at Toriel's innocence.

Toriel looked genuinely surprised at being found out but then smiled with pride.

"You are truly a very smart child Alice, you've really exceeded all my expectations. Still, there was another reason for doing such. I must attend to some business, and you must stay alone for a while. Please remain here. It's dangerous to explore by yourself." Instructed Toriel.

Alice seemed slightly disappointed at these instructions as she was hoping to see and discover more of the Ruins. While Toriel did seem to be quite right about the nature of some of these monsters in and around the Ruins, Alice felt as though she could apply Toriel's mercy properly. The curious side of Alice definitely felt disobedient towards following these instructions but after the Flowey incident, the rational side of Alice was on full alert. She definitely did not want to risk being pinned and cornered by some horrible monster without Toriel being able to rescue her. So in the end Alice had to agree with Toriel.

"I understand." Alice agreed with a small nod.

"I have an idea. I will give you a CELL PHONE." Toriel then spoke with a flash of inspiration and pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to Alice.

"C-cell phone...?" Alice inquired stunned as she received a completely foreign device to her.

It was surprisingly small for a device, with a metallic nature to it. It had various numbers and lettered buttons, two buttons marked green and red, was interconnected out of two long-roundish parts with the top half having a big screen and the bottom half possessing all the buttons. Alice looked at it much like she had looked at the first instance of Flowey's bullets, surprise and some fear. Toriel noticed her expression and looked grim.

"D-do you mean you have not used a cell phone before Alice?" Toriel inquired. Alice just nodded, afraid to speak.

"These cell phones have been around since the late 1900s for humans. The reason monsters have come across them is because they sometimes are dropped here in the Underground." Toriel explained.

"I… I don't… that's far in the future for me… I'm… how… I really did travel through time…" Alice's next few words were hushed whispers as tears began to pour again.

Toriel looked very guilty, and clearly was upset about not being able to support Alice the way she would've liked to. It seemed as though Alice had come from a completely different variant of Earth and had entered the Underground in a vastly different way from the previous humans who stumbled here. She suddenly felt as though she had a great deal of questions to ask Alice about her Earth like Alice towards her about the Underground. Toriel decided it was better to at least try than just watch Alice in her pitiful state.

"A-Alice… would you like me to show you how it works…?" Toriel offered as softly as she could.

Alice again nodded, sobbing continuously as she gripped the cell phone. Within that span of time, Toriel showed Alice how this cell phone could be used to make calls and send and receive messages from others who had a cell phone. By adding their numbers to their contacts list, they could easily and conveniently call them and strike up a conversation. Such a device would be utterly revolutionary in Alice's time but at this moment she looked at it as though it was a cruel joke. It meant Alice was no longer with her sister or Dinah… she was somewhere else entirely on Earth and in the Underground. She was ALONE. Toriel understood this feeling entirely, the previous children also having been scared and alone. Thus, she tried to help encourage Alice.

"I… Alice, nothing is determined yet. Until it's disproved, there is always a possibility that you can return to your time or perhaps bring those you care to where you are now. Have hope my child." Toriel spoke.

"... Y-yes…" Alice said sadly though she was beginning to wipe her tears bravely.

Alice then watched as Toriel departed to do what she described as her errands. Alice felt like she couldn't stand anymore and so she slowly lowered herself until she sat down. She looked at the cell phone mournfully… wondering how could she have gotten into such a terrible state? Not in a Wonderland, not even in her own time anymore, in a world where she could easily be killed, and completely alone. Well.. she at least had Toriel but would Toriel go with her everywhere? She already left on her own accord which meant Alice couldn't 100% trust her to stick by her side. If only Alice had given herself good advice back when she had first seen that child and didn't go into the rabbit-hole. She could've avoided this entirely…

"Oh Dinah… I-I miss you…" Alice sobbed, currently in a hopeless state.

But this state was not what someone else needed Alice to be in. In fact it was time for this 'someone' to appear. Another figure, a very familiar figure, made his or her way towards Alice from behind. They were determined to guide Alice towards a path… THEIR path.

"Where'd all that determination go Alice?" The voice rang out.

To be Continued...


	3. Very Seldom Follow It

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 2 Very Seldom Follow It

"O-Oh!" Alice gasped through her tears as she started looking around frantically.

Still grasping the cell phone for no reason in particular, she'd have thrown the thing way if it wasn't a way to contact Toriel, her eyes soon found the voice. It was astonishingly the child who led her here. They were standing with a somewhat disappointed expression directed towards her. Alice at first was filled with some relief and wiped the rest of her tears away, glad to see a somewhat familiar face. But then she suddenly felt a rush of anger and frustration at the child. After all, this place was extremely dangerous and she had already been nearly killed before getting to see much. This child had played on her hopes and led her into a possible death trap. Getting up and clenching her fists, Alice proceeded to scold the child,

"H-how could you leave me behind and take me to such a dreadful place?! This is in a completely different time from where I come from for heaven's sake! I also recall you telling me I would 'create' this Wonderland and so far it appears that the monsters are what create it."

"My apologies, I was testing to see how you would handle your first experience in this world. You… did about average." The child's apology sounded very insincere and even seemed exasperated.

This did little to calm down Alice's temper.

"Average? I didn't come here to be tested… I was hoping to find… something curious and wonderful… the exciting feeling of something strange beginning… but rather I found myself nearly murdered by a flower. How did that flower even summon those bullets?! That's completely mad!" She bellowed.

"The same way the goat mother summoned her flames. This world has magic. It's why I'm here, why you're here, why this is here, it's integral to the monsters and the humans. It's also the only way you'll be able to escape here if you are already tired of your Wonderland." The child told her confidently.

"You… were spying on us…? But there was nowhere to hide..." Alice asked curiously.

"... I'll only tell you this once… listen well." The child's voice suddenly took a very drastic tone to something quite serious and even frightening.

Alice flinched and stepped back nervously only to suddenly find the child dashing towards her and stopped right before her with a twisted smile.

"Ah-" Alice could only gasp.

" _I am THEM. The one that comes when people call its name. It doesn't matter when. It doesn't matter how. Time after time, I will appear. Together… we can create this world._ "

 _Truly fascinating…_ Alice thought both shocked and quite in awe. Whoever this person was they seemed to be filled with influence, power, and something that no one else could possess. It also hinted that this person could make themselves known quite easily… the only matter being what it would do after making themselves known. When Alice first met the child, he had known exactly what she had wanted and seemed to escort her there. _So perhaps some sort of wish-granter…?_

"Then, what exactly do you want from me?" Alice inquired, relieved when the child stepped back from her.

"Essentially there's one key way to create this world… and that is to play by the rules and eventually adapt to them and adjust them once you've gained enough power. You need to know though a few important things: your goal vs the monster's goal, the scope of this world, and the major players of this world." The child spoke composed.

"That sounds awfully complicated… but I suppose I have no better alternative and I'm well aware of my fragility. Please tell me more." Alice sighed and sat down again, laying out her skirt elegantly.

"So as you know, the monsters are sealed down here by a magic spell caused by the humans. A barrier that prohibits any monster or even other human from getting through it. They've been trapped down here and living that way for a long time… and some want out. They've come up with a way… a plan to do to this. They need the power of seven human SOULS." The child explained the first part.

"Souls…? What do they mean by souls?" Alice asked curiously.

"SOULS are the life essence of both humans and monsters… even I have one too. They have power too… magical power… the power to break, repair, create, and reshape. Monster soul's aren't as strong as human souls though monsters tend to have a greater grasp over their power than humans. Human souls though are what this kingdom needs to gain enough power to break through the barrier."

Alice was quite astounded by this explanation, finding it more of a fairy tale than anything logical or scientific. She even giggled a bit.

"But that's silly… I mean in my world there are magicians who can perform 'magic' but those are often a sleight of hand. Magic is often a sort of thing as well that can only be believed by seeing and sometimes illusions like say a magician turning something into a dove. At the very least what I'm trying to say is magic truly is not as… roundabout as you put it here…" Alice, fond of displaying her knowledge, told the child her point of view.

But the stern look on the child spoke volumes of what effect it had. The child looked very cross at Alice.

"If you want to survive anyway, you'll need to harness the power of your soul little girl. Unless you'd prefer to die if you encounter that flower again. Whether or not it was different in your world doesn't matter in the slightest, what matters is that you need to have DETERMINATION." The child spoke passive aggressively at her.

"Determination? … Now what do you suppose that means here?" Alice asked, tapping her chin.

"It's a quality of human souls… the will to keep living… the resolve to change fate… the will to kill, slaughter, murder…" The child's voice slowly got quieter to the point Alice couldn't hear him.

"Could you please speak up?" She asked politely.

The child rebounded, noticeably shifting their arms from what looked like a pose of power and control to a neutral position.

"DETERMINATION keeps you alive here and also can be your weapon. I think you can harness it on your own but I'll help you if I feel you need it."

Alice nodded at the child's words before going on a speech of her own in accordance to what the child told her earlier.

"Currently my goal would be to return home then… I mean I simply can't imagine living in the future, without those I knew and held so dearly in my heart. This place is also really dangerous… yet… and I know I am asking simply too much, but I also want to see more about this world." Alice admitted with a slight smile.

The child sneered at her words much to Alice's surprise and anger. But he eventually 'tsked' and said,

"As long as you believe in that strongly, you can make it out of this world and make those goals come true."

"Y-yes… but must you sneer at me?" Alice pouted and put her hands on her hips.

The child appeared to think for a moment after hearing Alice's question before shrugging its shoulders dismissively. Alice glared and was about to scold again when she heard something surprising.

"It's just… going home… being with those you knew and held in your heart… once you fall down here, that's sealed away. Or at least… I've been at it all this time and I haven't had much luck in seeing my parents again. Things should be different this time." The child confessed.

Alice softened her expression and felt sympathy for the child. It did seem as though this child had been through the same sort of intense ordeal that Alice was going through. _Perhaps If I succeed I'll be saving him and others too,_ Alice pondered in a noble sort of way. But she suddenly realized several things. The first being that if there were seven souls in need to break the barrier, that meant seven lives would have to be taken. The second being a quality of this child she was speaking to and their familiarity with this world.

"Forgive my curiousity but you are a human too correct? Have they not attempted to ta-"

"Moving on from that, basically what this means is if certain monsters see you, they'll hunt you down and try to kill you for your soul and use it to break the barrier. They have six souls already." The child interrupted her with a severe hit to her assuredness.

"... Y-you mean… humans have already died here…?" Alice gasped with frightened eyes.

"Yep and who were the culprits? You guessed it, the monsters. This world is unforgiving towards humans… which is why if you want to go home… there's only one way of dealing with monsters. That being to KILL the monsters before they can KILL you." The child spoke with a calculating grin.

Alice flinched and looked very shaken. Killing anything, be it a tree or a bug or another living being was far too cruel for anyone to do. It was a sin that would follow you for the rest of your life, and for very good reason. It was most certainly a crime in her world and the young girl couldn't fathom committing such a dubious act. Furthermore, how could she when Flowey had pinned her into a corner so easily with magical bullet? Then there was what Toriel said earlier about how mercy was a legitimate and preferred way of dealing with monsters.

"B-but… I'm just a little girl… a-and you ask me to try to kill these monsters? That have been trapped down here and are completely mysterious to me. That's far too big of a demand!" Alice got up again and screeched at the child for saying such things.

The child frowned at her, in a way that implied they very much disagreed with her reasoning. Somehow this frown seemed a lot more direct and scary than a normal frown of disagreement. They also clearly looked like they wanted to say something scathing but instead they closed their eyes as though considering her opinion. Then they spoke quite strictly to Alice,

"This is for your own good Alice. If it'll help you don't have to kill everything, I'm going to warn you about who's out for blood, and who you'll need to spill their blood if you want to live and find a way home. I'll warn you only when we run into them for now."

"I… very well you may at least warn me about them if you feel like it though I simply cannot commit murder…" Alice conceded in a withdrawn way.

"First… you've met her already… Toriel. She's a deceitful witch who abandoned her love to live in these ruins and take care of the humans who fall from here. She's never going to help you, you would never return home if she offers a place to stay. After you see her home, stay for a bit, hear some of her meaningless jokes, she's going to try to seal you in here forever. She has fiery magic but if you show her enough empty mercy… she'll lower her guard and you can just slay her from there." The child recounted this information in a very satisfied way.

It was far too satisfied, as though the child was looking forward to Toriel being killed and giving reasons as to why she should be killed that weren't true. Alice didn't approve of this sort of behavior at all, in fact it started to sprout a seed of doubt in her mind. It seemed as though this child preferred a more violent solution over trying to find a peaceful solution. Considering how patient Toriel was, Alice felt Toriel was a lot more open-minded than this child was being. Though the startling revelation about Toriel wanting to keep her here instead of going out was a bit startling. It was a threat to her curiousity as well as her chances of returning home.

"She wants me to stay here forever? But why? Is she afraid of me getting killed myself?" Alice asked the child.

"Or maybe she just wants to torture you." The child mockingly answered her question and offered another reason all in one.

"D-don't joke please… especially not that sort of vulgar joke. Furthermore, you should be ashamed of yourself trying to frame and encourage the killing of such a kind woman! I-I don't know what you know but I can tell Toriel's the kind of person who would never forgive herself if she harmed me." Alice yelled at the child, pointing at them furiously.

But as she found herself pointing at the child, she suddenly saw something different in front of her eyes. It was long… and metallic… and reflected light like a mirror. Alice, who was now associating metals with danger after the bullets from Flowey, took a few moments to observe exactly what was aimed at her forehead. It was quite simply… a KNIFE. A knife… a tool used to cook but could also be used to kill. The knife in questioned being wielded by the child who had a grin. Just a grin… like a cheshire cat.

"Use this to help you. It saves time." They spoke.

Alice flinched back and at this point was so spellbound by the knife she couldn't even scream… she just continued to stare at it dumbfounded. Seizing this chance, the child decided to place the knife into her hands, Alice not even making any attempt to prevent this exchange. _How could this happen?_ Alice thought grimly, slowly worrying that maybe killing was the best option. If this child said it was the best way and that it was true that Toriel herself, the one who advised mercy wouldn't let Alice out of here, then… maybe she should just take the knife. This child must've been through a lot more than Alice and had this knife on them as a survival tool.

"..." She just stood motionlessly, staring at the knife now firmly in her hand.

"Enticing isn't it? Well I think I'll let you explore these ruins at long last. I was going to tell you about more of this realm but you seem like the kind of person who wants to discover things for themselves. Remember, if you want to get home you need to channel your determination and use the power of the souls to break through that barrier. Or… perhaps you can create this world to your liking, depends on your preference Alice." The child added an unpleasant laugh to the end of their sentence.

"J-just a moment…" Alice spoke quietly but didn't even switch her attention to the child.

The child looked frustrated but they eyed Alice with a disturbing interest. Like some sort of experiment or project going in the scientist's favor.

"What is it?" They asked.

"T-two things… one, why exactly are you assisting me like this… forcing ME to commit murder… second, why did I know that Froggit's name when I encountered it earlier…?" Alice inquired, finally turning to face the child but still looking as though in a trance.

"One…. let's just say I need you to survive… whether I like it or not… two, call it a gift from me. I don't want to make you have to guess their names when some of them don't even speak your language so I've given you my memories of the monsters so you'll know them once you see them. Now then, we'll meet again… just make sure that you open that door with your own two hands… because mercy isn't going to open that door for you." The child spoke their final words for the matter and left the room out where Toriel had gone.

Alice, currently in an unstable grief and confusion turned to look at the knife. She felt like a goddess wielding her scepter. This knife granted her untold power in this world and just holding it made her believe that. Also it seemed that she had some power in her that rivaled that of the monsters. DETERMINATION. Using that would allow her to return home… and then there was the revelation of Toriel's plan: to keep Alice in these ruins forever, trapping her curiosity and crushing her hopes of ever returning home. _I don't want to live in the future like this,_ Alice thought, _not without Dinah…_ She looked to her cell phone, the one Toriel had taught her to use, and looked at it scornfully.

"If… if by killing I can finally return… p-perhaps… if I never tell anyone…" A grim resolve set, Alice took the knife in her hands, put away the cellphone, and slowly crept out of the room.

Going through the open door showed that the child had disappeared somewhere and that she was in a long hall with a sharp turn to the right along a path of more red leaves and another open door on the left. To her further astonishment, a Froggit was sitting in the hall present and unmoving. Alice shiftily looked around like an assassin… not one of a curious girl but of one wanting to ensure no witnesses. She turned to the Froggit and gave a grin scarily similar to that of the child. One step… two step…

"RING!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Alice screamed, mostly out of a feeling of stunned disbelief rather than fear and dropped the knife almost instantly as she scrambled to find the source of that sound.

It was an unusual sound, shrill and distinct but with an undertone that didn't sound natural. Alice then noticed she felt a strange vibration in her apron pockets. But most importantly, Alice's eyes seemed to regain color and focus and she felt like her mind had been cleared. Previously disoriented with despairing facts and conflicting decisions, it was now free to think. Startled nonetheless, Alice made a blind guess and reached into the pocket she felt the vibrations were coming from. To her amazement it was the cell phone that was vibrating and making that sound. _So that's how you can tell when one is making a call,_ Alice thought reasonably. Recounting the steps that Toriel taught her, Alice answered the call.

"H-hello? This is Alice." Alice spoke hesitantly.

"Ah, Alice. This is Toriel. You have not left the room, have you? There are a few puzzles ahead that I have yet to explain. It would be dangerous to try to solve them by yourself. Be good, alright?" The most soothing and gentle voice of the Underground spoke to Alice

"CLICK!" The sound of the phone call ending rang out.

"Ah… T-Toriel…" Alice in that moment was suddenly consumed by a feeling of enormous regret and horror.

She had nearly bought the child's ideology, that killing was the only way. Almost forgetting how Toriel protected her from Flowey, answered all her questions and even guided her through these Runs so far. Despite being told to always follow good advice, she had nearly accepted advice that would have gone against her morals. Perhaps it was just the sheer shock value of the knife and the child's unusual behavior but Alice still let her paranoia cloud her mind in that moment. Thankfully that call had restored her trust in Toriel as the goat mother had been genuinely concerned for her. While her curiousity was still too strong to simply stay behind, Alice knew she simply had to thank Toriel the next time she saw her.

"S-she's right… mercy is the best way… to kill an innocent life… would carry over through my life… I very seldom follow bad advice..." Alice atoned for her near mistake.

Then, looking at the knife that lied dormant on the ground, she picked it up and hurled it as far as she could back into the hall where she had exited from. She would not be tempted by the idea of slaying monsters anymore. Alice then turned to face the Froggit who was clearly looking at her now with a strange expression she could not read. But knowing that it had not harmed her yet and eager to find out more from the monster's point of view after Toriel's call, she asked it,

"Hello there. May I kindly ask which way I'd oughta go?"

"Ribbit Ribbit!" The Froggit's reply was no more than an ordinary frog's noises. But somehow… Alice then made out surprisingly good advice from the Froggit.

"Excuse me, human. I have some advice for you about battling monsters. If you ACT a certain way or FIGHT until you almost defeat them… They might not want to battle you anymore. If a monster does not want to fight you, please… Use some MERCY human… also just keep going down the right path though the left room does have some candy. Ribbit."

"Ah, why thank you kindly sir. I believe I'll put that advice to good use." Alice curtsied properly as she thanked the Froggit.

Her curiousity was now free to do what Alice wanted it to do. She was going to finally explore more of these ruins on her own and hopefully with no flowers to interfere. So she entered the left room. Inside the room was two small rectangular lakes, an almost Grecian pedestal in the middle of the room, a curtain of ivy against the back wall, and a cute yet out of place candy bowl on the pedestal. Alice was rather relieved though to have found something edible as she was well aware that food was necessary for traveling this far.

"It says 'take one'. Huh, don't mind if I do." Alice read the note and proceeded to act upon the note, taking one piece of candy out of the jar.

Taking more was tempting but at this point following the rules of the signs and codes of the ruins seemed a lot safer and more promising than blindly disobeying them. Alice put this candy in the right pocket of her apron, the cell-phone being in her left pocket. Then with a cheerful smile, she exited the left room. But something astounding happened as soon as she exited the hall. She saw something standing in the middle of the hall… it was...

"A white rabbit… in a waistcoat… and a watch!" Alice exclaimed.

Truthfully though there was something unusual about it… it appeared to be transparent and glowing, dominantly of a color akin to Alice's apron and the clothes it was wearing were gold… as though blessed by the Midas Touch. It appeared to be something magical so Alice remained fairly alert but she softened her expression when she saw the rabbit look at its watch and then wave to her. Her curiousity had already been quite high but when she saw the rabbit clearly wanting her attention, it skyrocketed.

"Y-yes? Do you want me to follow you Mr. Rabbit?" Alice asked as she moved forward a bit.

The rabbit nodded cheerfully and soon rushed down the hall and around the corner. Alice quickly gathered her skirt and went to make chase when suddenly something flew at her. It was a small, winged creature with a sorrowful expression and a pair of antenna. The term 'Whimsun' appeared in her head instantly and thus she realized this was another one of the creatures down here. She also appeared to understand they were very passive creatures, too sensitive to fight. So Alice simply curtsied and said,

"I do not wish to fight you so please run along where it is safe."

"I'm sorry…" The Whimsun said and flew off. A bit surprised by the easy yet somewhat depressing encounter, Alice followed after where the white rabbit had went off.

She found herself in an unusual hall that seemed straightforward but there were four suspicious cracks in the ground, almost screaming 'trapdoor'. The white rabbit appeared to have been waiting for her on the side she was on. Alice watching with amazement, as the white rabbit gracefully hopped over to the other side, leaving a trail of golden sparkles. It was almost as though they had showed her how to bypass the suspicious cracks. Alice looked very relieved to have another ally on her side though she was curious about where it came from.

"Thank you kindly Mr. Rabbit. I believe I shall do the same." Alice affirmed her trust in the rabbit after curtseying politely in thanks.

Taking a few steps back before going into a sprint, Alice took a bold leap of faith and successfully made it onto the other side without falling through the cracks. Feeling very proud of herself Alice laughed joyfully. She was really starting to have fun and she certainly didn't need the knife or the child's grim advice to do so. So skipping merrily, she went after the white rabbit and moved on.

The next room was relatively unique compared to some of the other rooms Alice had seen. There was another text on the wall, a suspicious rock not too far from what appeared to be a stand, and spikes akin to the ones from earlier splitting the room into two different territories. Namely territory that could be crossed and territory that couldn't be crossed. Most curiously, Alice's phone began to ring again and so Alice answered it with a hunch that it was Toriel.

"Hello? This is TORIEL. For no reason in particular… Which do you prefer? Cinnamon or butterscotch?" Toriel asked innocently.

"Hmm… on one hand depending on which cinammon you are referring to it could wind up uncomfortably spicy or delightfully sweet. Butterscotch on the other hand is very pleasant and decadent with an air of elegance and sweetness. I believe I will choose butterscotch." Alice gave her answer after some considerable thought.

"Oh, I see. Thank you very much." Toriel replied gratefully and hung up.

 _I wonder if she's making some sort of dessert for me,_ Alice thought as she started to examine the room. The mysteriously magical white rabbit in the golden attire was pointing towards the text on the wall. But as Alice approached it, the phone rang again.

"Toriel is there something else you need?" Alice asked, realizing that only Toriel was probably going to call her for now with this phone.

"My child… you do not DISLIKE cinnamon, do you? I know what your preference is, but… Would you turn up your nose if you found it on your plate?" Toriel asked kindly.

"As long as it is a sweet cinnamon which in hindsight would work lovely with the butterscotch or any dessert really I have no issue with cinnamon." Alice answered properly.

"Right, right I understand. Thank you for being patient by the way." Toriel responded and hung up once more.

Alice sighed, slightly anxious from all these interruptions. Still it was very reassuring to know that Toriel was checking up on her like this and it made her feel less alone. However when she got off from the phone, she observed that the white rabbit in the gold attire had completely vanished.

"Eh… Mr. Rabbit? Mr. Rabbit?! Oh dear…" Alice gasped as she noticed she was now alone again and left with more mysteries about that rabbit.

Still she remembered how the rabbit had pointed at the text so Alice went over to examine it. 'Three out of four grey rocks recommend you push them.' _Curious,_ Alice thought, _it's as though they are saying the rocks have a mind of their own…_ Turning back to face the rock and seeing the presumable stand that probably acted as a switch, Alice began to push. After some effort as Alice was not one to do this sort of thing as a hobby, she pushed the rock onto the switch and the spikes went down.

"Perfect!" Alice cheered to herself.

Successfully opening new doors for herself, Alice continued forth. Alice found herself in a very big room where regrettably there was a vast number of cracks that couldn't be hopped over on the floor. She looked distressed and confused.

"H-how is anyone supposed to move forward like this?" She complained.

Deciding this was a textbook case of trial and error, Alice instantly stepped on a crack and found it breaking underneath her feet. She proceeded to fall through it and ended up landing in a room strikingly similar in size to the above floor. She had been prepared for a fall so she had not screamed and instead started to look around as she got back onto her feet. There was a noticeable amount of leaves arranged in a seemingly specific way. Furthermore, there was another text against the wall like in the previous room. Alice walked towards it, careful to not step on the leaves and read the sign. 'Please don't step on the leaves.'

"Hmm… oh I understand! The leaves are almost like a blueprint of where the trapdoors are on the above floor. So if I memorize the correct path down here and apply it to up there, I should be able to solve this puzzle." Alice hypothesized a very believable solution.

Delighted with the joy of solving puzzles like this, she went back to find stairs that perfectly led to the above floor through somewhat of a secret passage along the wall. But as she was about to attempt this puzzle again, a strange gelatinous and slimy creature appeared in her path. Alice shuddered as it did appear to be a very nauseating creature called Moldsmal. Somehow she also recalled it being… 'attractive?'

"That seems rather preposterous... " Alice muttered.

But Alice gasped when the Moldsmal sent out slime balls at her that moved slowly but still required Alice to evade them. _Hmm, so I need to show it mercy, but how so?_ Alice pondered ways of kindly getting through to the creature. She decided to try lying down immobile by the Moldsmal to consider it's point of view. It did help Alice understand things better but she wasn't sure if the Moldsmal was ready yet. Slimy noises did little to comfort Alice so Alice decided to try another tactic. It did consider itself attractive so perhaps if Alice did something attractive it would appeal to the Moldsmal and make it understand that Alice meant well. So Alice curtsied as elegantly as she could to the Moldsmal.

The Moldsmal responded by wiggling in a way that would be very obscene in Alice's time. There was also a very peculiar lime-flavored scent in the air… so Alice said,

"Don't worry, I shall spare you." This seemed to cheer up the Moldsmal who wobbled away but interestingly, a gold coin seemed to be left in it's place.

"Oh! Perhaps this is the Underground's currency! I better hold on it then." Alice exclaimed as she picked it up and placed it in the pocket with her candy.

With no more interruptions, Alice followed down the path of cracks the same way she had memorized it downstairs. Sure enough, she found herself not falling through any of the cracks she had stepped on meaning she had chose correctly. She saw a text that was lying above some more leaves along the wall but she didn't want to risk falling down again so she skipped past it. Poised and graceful, Alice had solved yet another puzzle and reached the other side of the cracks.

In the next room, Alice observed that this room possessed three rocks and three stands with a bridge lined with spikes over a river in the middle of the room. It would seem she would need to follow the same solution as that room with that text about rocks… _Come to think of it it said three out of four rocks didn't it…?_ Alice looked over the three rocks intently but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Shrugging her shoulders, she began to push each of the rocks onto the platform. But as she was on her way to pushing the second rock, a pair of Froggits hopped towards her and stared at her. Alice was a bit nervous about encountering a duo but she recalled the Froggit from earlier…

"Oh hello there, I met another Froggit just like you earlier a few rooms beyond this direction. Perhaps you should go see him and give him some company." Alice offered thoughtfully.

The Froggits croaked a bit but they didn't quite understand what Alice was saying. Still, they seemed excited and proceeded to hop towards the entrance Alice had just come out of. This time four gold coins were left behind which Alice scavenged quite quickly. With no other distractions, she finally finished pushing the second rock into place but then when she placed her hands on the third rock, something very starting happened.

"WHOA there, pardner! Who said you could push me around?" A booming voice rang out that seemed to come from this particular rock.

"Oh! I-I'm terribly sorry sir… i-it's just… how are you able to talk?" Alice inquired after stepping back instinctively.

"Mama, dada, and a mind of my own. But again, why were you pushing me? It's kind of rude y'know?" The rock scolded Alice.

Alice gave a flabbergasted look as while she may have been slightly rude, it was completely astounding that a rock had such a complex opinion. Still Alice was not one to forego her manners so she bowed respectfully and apologized,

"I'm very sorry sir… it's just I am hoping to navigate my way through this ruins and I need you to move to a certain stand to activate a switch that will lower the spikes so that I may cross…" Alice finished her rather long sentence with hand gestures expressing where she'd like him to move.

"So you're ASKIN' me to move over? Okay, just for you, pumpkin." The rock agreed in a flirtatious manner.

Alice resisted the urge to blush as strongly as she could and managed to succeed. She was not one to think much of love or at least not yet. Other girls her age were dreaming of prince charmings and fairy tale endings but she instead was the girl wishing for a world of her own. That Wonderland she had thought this place would be but so far… while it was on it's way now, it had a long way to go. She observed the rock as it moved forward… but not nearly enough to get onto the switch.

"Um… could you please move forward until you reach that switch sir?" She asked as kindly as she could.

"You want me to move some more? Alrighty, how's this?" The rock offered.

It however moved upward this time instead of forward. Alice now resisted the urge to sigh in exasperation and stated,

"Not upwards sir, forwards. Like when you moved the first time."

"That was the wrong direction? Okay, think I got it."

Sure enough, this time he moved onto the switch precisely and the spikes descended down on the bridge. Alice was very delighted and rushed over to the bridge only to suddenly notice the spikes rising up again to her confusion. When she turned around, she noticed the rock had moved off the switch. Quite put out, Alice lost her patience.

"Excuse me sir but I needed you to STAY on that switch until I could cross! Then you can move as much as you'd care to!" She screamed.

"Yeesh… you're giving me a real workout but ok then." The rock finally moved back onto the switch after saying this final line.

Alice was still cross about the delay though she was relieved to cross over the bridge at last. _How many more rooms are there…?_ Alice thought to herself, noticing she had gone through a good number of puzzles thus far. The next room though surprised Alice. It was a straightforward hallway but what stood out was the fact there was a small mousehole along the wall and that there was a medium-sized table holding a single plate of cheese. Alice examined the cheese first.

"Why it's stuck to the table… it must've been here for quite a while… I wonder if Toriel put it here…" Alice thought aloud.

She then walked over and crouched down to peer inside the mousehole. While it was too dark to see anything, she could hear the very cute sounds of a mouse. It felt very innocent yet somewhat unusual for a ruins to have. Perhaps it'd make sense in some country home but this was supposedly ancient ruins… still the idea of the mouse someday leaving the hole to retrieve the delicious cheese gave Alice determination to keep moving forward. So the young English girl did just that… and in the next room she found…

"A-a ghost…?"

To be continued...


	4. Dapper, Desserts, Dreams

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 3 Dapper, Desserts, Dreams

Quite specifically, the ghost in question was lying on a bed of the richly scarlet leaves in an unusual hallway with an empty spot and an open passageway on the left as the hall seemed to continue to go on forward. Now realizing this was her first ever encounter with the paranormal, Alice pondered on how she should approach it. The ghost had big square eyes, was white like snow, with a squiggly bottom and was about as big as a dog. It also appeared to be sleeping on the leaves which made sense to Alice. _Piles of leaves are certainly inviting as a place to rest,_ she thought in admiration. Alice wanted to make sure it was sleeping so she approached it on her tip-toes.

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.." A resounding snore confirmed her suspicions

But curiously, when she continued to listen in, she heard something else.

"Are they gone yet?" The ghost whispered.

"…" Alice wasn't sure what to make of this realization.

The ghost was not really asleep but was merely pretending to be asleep. Furthermore, this ghost was quite aware of Alice being here and wouldn't get up until she left. As much as Alice would've liked to have done that, the path was blocked by this ghost. So if she wanted to move on she would have to direct this ghost out of the way. While she had felt a bit more comfortable with the monsters after the several encounters where being a pacifist paid off, a ghost was a whole other level of monster in her mind. Ghosts could fly and had unusual powers that could cause mischief and harm. Still…

"My apologies sir but I simply have to keep going." Alice spoke sincerely as she gently attempted to lift the ghost out of the way.

The ghost instantly took flight and stared down Alice with an expression that seemed awfully depressing. It's name also became clear to Alice.

"N-Napster… block…?" Alice inquired confused.

"N-Napstablook… oh, I'm REAL funny huh?" The ghost corrected her in a cynical tone.

Alice could tell this creature didn't have much of a sense of humor. She was also a bit upset at herself for getting their name wrong which would no doubt have offended it. Sure enough, Napstablook began to cry tears that seemed to fly towards Alice. Alice gasped and quickly did her best to avoid the small tears that seemed to be moving in an intricate formation. She was fortunately able to do so and observed that Napstablook appeared that they didn't want to be here. Alice knew she had to make up for her mistake so she began speaking to him.

"I sincerely didn't mean to get your name wrong… Napstablook. I simply want to know if you could perhaps let me by?" Alice asked as kindly as she could.

"Really not feelin up to it right now. Sorry…" Napstablook seemed to apologize as their answer.

Napstablook also didn't do anything which seemed to confirm his words. Alice now felt guiltier but refused to give up that easily. So she offered a patient smile and said,

"Well that's quite alright. If you need to prepare yourself and get into the spirit of things I can give you as much time as you need."

Fortunately for Alice, this did seem to lift the ghost's mood up and it looked a bit better.

"Heh…" It said as it's tears now fell simply to the ground, a noticeable acidic sizzle being heard.

"Hmm… what do you call a book where the pages are nothing but pictures? A Pictionary!" Alice went for a good-natured joke next.

"Heh… heh…" Napstablook chuckled.

Napstablook's mood was now significantly improved which made Alice very proud of herself. _Pacifism should be a more common practice,_ Alice imagined. Then she suddenly was surprised to hear Napstablook say,

"I want to show you… let me try…"

As these words were spoken, the tears emitted from Napstablook's eyes floated upward around his head and suddenly seemed to combine. A fairly tall but mysterious shape was being formed by these tears until suddenly it began to look quite familiar to Alice. It looked like a very polished, elegant hat that a gentleman or a hatter would sport. Alice clapped cheerfully at this splendid trick to show that she was appreciative of the magical display.

"I call it "dapper blook". Do you like it…?" Napstablook asked Alice.

"Oh it's simply lovely! You look so distinguished and proud." Alice complimented Napstablook gleefully.

"Oh gee…" The ghost shyly murmured.

With that, two final tears fell and it seemed that Napstablook was perfectly ready to engage in conversation with Alice. Alice clasped her hands together and emitted a sigh of relief. This ghost did seem like a friendly ghost and she was always eager to make new friends (and to a lesser extent new allies) in this Underground. Alice decided to be the first to engage in conversation,

"It is a pleasure to meet you Napstablook, my name is Alice."

"Alice huh…? That's a pretty name… I usually come to the RUINS because there's nobody around… but today I met someone nice…" Said Nabstablook.

"Really? So I take it you haven't met Toriel?" Alice inquired curiously.

"Toriel…? That sounds kind of familiar… but I don't think I've met a Toriel before…" The ghost shook his head as he replied.

"So you say you usually come here… where do you live then?"

"In a little house in… WATERFALL…"

Alice's eyes immediately brightened up in excitement. _Waterfall,_ Alice thought, _that sounds like a truly marvelous place._ A number of fantastic ideas soon began to develop in Alice's mind as she heard the name of that place. A tropical oasis under a gleaming sun, a fantastical waterfall cascading down, a beautiful river with exotic fish, and basically that there was more to this world than the ruins. This further strengthened her determination to get out of these ruins and see more to the world though she had to wonder how she would be able to express this to Toriel… Either way, Alice had to know more.

"WATERFALL? What kind of place is that?" Alice asked politely.

"It's a dim, wet place with a lot of rain and also very special flora… it's a nice, tranquil place for me and my hobbies… oh, i'm rambling again, I'll get out of your way…" Quite abruptly, Napstablook ended the conversation and vanished.

"Oh! Wait… Napstablook… hmm, they certainly seems like the type to go at their own pace…" Alice considered as she futilely reached out to where he had disappeared.

Alice began to wonder quickly and vividly about what kind of place was outside the ruins with this new information. _Perhaps it's some incredible tropical island with lush vegetation… or maybe a magical kingdom with curious creatures and beautiful architecture… or it truly may turn out to be the Wonderland I've dreamed about for so long…_ As Alice thought about all this, a very important fact she had nearly forgotten was quickly remembered. She had fallen down here through the rabbit hole and thus was underground. So in a sense, it would be very difficult for it to be a truly lush place with no sunlight and it would also support this WATERFALL being a dark place like Napstablook had said.

"But wouldn't being closer to the center of the earth indicate some sort of heat and light source being close by? At least that's what I've been led to believe when it was discussed to me…" Alice reasoned out loud, fixated on what was out there.

Carrying on her way after a disappointed sigh, she noticed some more gold on the ground and picked it up until she had 7 gold. Wondering if Napstablook had left it there, she went straight ahead to what seemed to be a dead end. There were very interesting details in this room though like a classic sign and two spider-webs of differing sizes along the wall.

"Spiders! Oh my… those are the sort of creature I would prefer stay small and do not talk. These webs are quite beautiful though." Alice shuddered before managing to find a compliment to say.

Spiders being creatures that entrapped their prey with their web and could sometimes be poisonous were very frightful creatures to Alice. Furthermore, knowing that even a mere flower in this world could be very dangerous, she was panicked about the possibility of a spider in this world. Still, she decided to see what the sign was about. 'Spider Bake Sale. All proceeds go to real spiders."

"A bake sale…? Oh, well then that's a different story entirely. With all those limbs they probably could bake the most beautiful cakes… with delicate tea in an beautiful garden," Alice daydreamed nostalgically, recalling the many tea parties she had in the past.

 _Thank goodness Toriel appears to be making me something,_ Alice thought, _I'm getting a bit hungry and I want to save that candy from earlier for later._ Examining both webs closely, she saw that both were asking for a donation of gold but with different amounts. The smaller web asked for 7 while the bigger web asked for 18. Alice wasn't sure what to do with the gold on hand yet, and she did sympathize with baking, so she placed the 7 gold she had on the smaller web. To her amazement, small spiders appeared and took the gold gracefully while handing her a baked pastry. It looked clearly like a donut.

"Oh why thank you kindly. I believe I shall indulge on this." Alice curtsied politely and proceeded to take a bite of the donut.

It was a very sweet, fluffy, perfectly baked texture with a hint of a delicious cider taste. Alice quickly devoured the pastry and felt a great deal more satisfied. Remembering the alternate route from the hall she had just come through she went out back into the hall and made a right into the new path. The first thing she noticed was more Froggits across the way and another sign. The signs becoming increasingly interesting the deeper she went, Alice eagerly read it. 'Did you miss it? Spider Bakesale down and to the right. Come eat food made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders!'

"Mmph… th-that's not exactly very appealing advertising…" Alice groaned as she resisted the urge to vomit.

It had tasted delicious but had it really been made of spiders? That idea repulsed Alice to no end but she figured it could've been worse than having a bad meal when there wasn't a reliable source of food yet. Moving past the sign, she took the time to talk to the Froggits.

"Sigh… my friend never listens to me…Whenever I talk, they skip my words by pressing X-"

Alice walked by that one in sheer confusion and not bothering to know what they really meant.

"I heard using "F4"-"

"S-sir… what are you talking about? I don't understand what you are trying to say. X? F4? Is that some sort of code?" Alice asked a bit flabbergasted.

"I think F4 stands for 'Four Frogs' but there's only ever been three frogs in this room. This is troubling, to say the least." The Froggit replied sheepishly.

"… Never mind." Alice gave up on them and carried on.

Talking to the third and final Froggit she heard,

"I have heard you are quite merciful, for a human… Surely you know by now a monster wears a YELLOW name when you can SPARE it. What do you think of that?"

"That's preposterous, I haven't seen any monster wearing yellow yet… although come to think of it I did see a white rabbit wearing GOLD which is certainly a shade of yellow. Is that what you mean?" Alice asked after considering that mysterious creature.

"Yes… though I don't recall there ever being rabbits around here. Remember human, sparing is just saying you won't fight. Maybe one day, you'll have to do it even if their name isn't yellow." The Froggit replied.

"… I-I see… thank you. I shall keep that in mind." Alice kindly concluded the conversation.

To be honest she had been very confused by these frogs though the third one at least had some good advice to share. As she tried to make sense of the strange terminology her phone rang again. Alice eagerly answered it to find out it was indeed Toriel making another call to her.

"Hello?" Toriel asked.

"Yes Toriel it is Alice, what is it that you need?"

"I just realized it that it has been a while since I have cleaned up. I was not expecting to have company so soon. There are probably a lot of things lying about here and there. You can pick them up, but do not carry more than you need. Someday you may see something you really like. You will want to leave room in your pockets for that." Toriel elaborated to Alice.

"I didn't know you invited company over, who are they?" Alice asked a bit puzzled by that.

"I mean you my child. You my dear Alice are the first company I've had in such a long time and I definitely want to make things tidy so that we may enjoy our time together." Toriel giggled as she spoke.

Alice smiled and felt quite exclusive to have this level of consideration by Toriel. It certainly made her feel less alone and like these ruins were easily capable of being navigated safely through. Blushing a bit though out of the sheer kindness, Alice responded,

"That's very kind of you Toriel. I look forward to getting to know you better."

With that the conversation was done and Alice put her phone away. In the next room, Alice saw something that looked very much like a puzzle. Six cracks laid across the floor quite carefully and another sign on the wall. Furthermore, entry to the far end of the room was blocked off with spikes very much like the ones from earlier. Reading the sign, Alice found out there was only one switch that would presumably allow her to move on into the next room. _So it appears I have to fall through these cracks to find the one with the switch…_ Alice realized. Alice frowned as falling through sudden holes that popped out from under her was about as much fun as dodging monster's attacks. Still she had no choice so she started with the bottom left one and found herself descending.

"Oof…" Alice yelped as she landed on a bed of leaves.

To make matters worse for her, she found herself encountering a very familiar and a very unfamiliar creature. One was a Moldsmal and the other looked like some large cockroach with teeth and beady eyes. A Misgosp, Alice understood. Positively revolted by the combo of slime and cockroaches, Alice got up and tried to reason with them. She curtsied politely to the Moldsmal which managed to appeal it but she soon heard,

"IN UNISON NOW."

This intimidating and nerve-wracking voice came from the Misgosp and Alice soon found herself surrounded by flies and slime. The flies picked at her a bit resulting in Alice smacking them away before she was able to convince the Moldsmal she was safe and it departed.

"Bein' me is the best!" Said the rather grimy voice that was the Misgosp.

To her astonishment, rather than send flies her way, it did a simple and amusing dance. It was when Alice figured out it seemed evil, but was really only in the wrong crowd… Such a thought made Alice warm up to the creature as it said,

"Mm, cha, cha, cha!"

"Oh that is a very lovely dance. Though I simply don't really have time to dance at the moment." Alice apologized for not joining in.

The Misgosp seemed to understand and left as well, Alice quickly noticing a faded ribbon on the ground. It was red and not nearly as nice as the ribbon she was wearing in her hair at the moment so Alice headed back upstairs. She tried the top left one next and noticed some sort of vegetable on the ground in the room she landed in. As she approached it, to her horror, it uprooted and revealed a disturbing grin.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Alice shrieked at the scary expression.

The Vegetoid as it was called started at her smiling horrifically though wasn't doing anything yet. As it turns out it appeared to be edible, with a serving size worthy for 1 monster. _Who in their right mind would eat this?_ Alice thought incredulously.

"Farmed Locally. Very Locally." It said in a droll yet unnerving voice.

Vegetables suddenly emerged from the hole it uprooted from and flew at Alice, Alice proving to be getting better at dodging these projectiles.

"Well Vegetoid… I don't really feel like eating you and I don't mean any harm so-"

"Plants Can't Talk Dummy." To her amazement, Alice's attempt at a conversation was repulsed by a rude statement from the Vegetoid.

"Excuse me?! It sounds as though you want to be devoured you rude weed!" Alice exclaimed offended.

"Eat Your Greens." Vegetoid offered a healthy meal.

Dodging another series of vegetables, Alice spared the Vegetoid in exasperation and departed with a huff.

"The nerve of these plants, first Flowey and now a vegetable. You can learn lots of things from the flowers, humph! I suppose they could learn a thing or two about manners." Alice ranted to herself which did make her feel better.

Furthermore she was earning more gold which could prove to be useful later. The next room she decided to try was the bottom middle floor and to her astonishment, Napstablook was there. Regrettably she found this out after landing on them.

"Urk!" It groaned.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Napstablook, I'm simply trying to solve these puzzles and I had no idea you were down here." Alice apologized after quickly picking herself up and curtsying.

"That's ok Alice… I fell down a hole… and now I can't get up… go on without me…" The ghost spoke a bit melodramatically for it's cynical tone.

"That's out of the question! In fact, now that you're here, perhaps you could be so kind to accompany me through these mysterious ruins? It's so much more comforting to be traveling with a friend." Alice requested sincerely.

"... But are you sure…? I'd only slow you down… and keep you from having more fun… come to think of it ghosts can fly huh…?" Napstablook rambled off-subject.

"It'd certainly help me for when we deal with some of these monsters. Besides, perhaps I can introduce you to Toriel."

"What's Toriel like…?"

"Why she's simply a very lovely goat woman who's honest and kind and takes very good care of those who fall down into these ruins. She saved me from the the most malicious flower earlier and has given me some very good advice. I think she'd love to meet you too." Alice explained gleefully.

"... Well… ok… I can at least meet her since you want me to… but I do want to go home soon… so I'll just stay with you until we see her…" Napstablook agreed at last.

"Oh thank you!" Alice thanked them with another curtsy

Napstablook appeared to blush a bit at the kindness Alice was displaying. They liked how curious and interested Alice was in this world and how polite she was to everyone. She also seemed a bit delicate so Napstablook thought they could indeed use some company. Alice in return was simply delighted to finally have some sort of companion beyond Dinah with her in this Underground. It would also help immensely with solving the rest of this puzzle. So with this in mind, they headed upstairs and Alice gave commands to Napstablook,

"Napstablook, since you are indeed a ghost, I want you to check the right cracks and see if the switch we need is in there. I'm going to try this middle top one."

"Got it…" Napstablook said and quickly set off.

After falling through the crack, Alice found that there was indeed a switch on the wall to lower the spikes. Feeling proud of her cleverness, she activated the switch and heard a rather sudden and violent sound that meant it had worked. As she went upstairs she waited briefly for Napstablook to reappear and sure enough they did.

"There was a Vegetoid in one room and nothing in the other… I don't really want veggies…" It spoke sincerely.

"Haha… me neither. Now we can finally proceed." Alice giggled.

Having solved the riddle, Alice and Napstablook moved onto the next room. To her amazement, this room simply outshined all the other rooms thus far in detail. There were large and stoic pillars but most curiously, colored figurines like dolls sitting against them. Yellow, blue, and red dolls spread out along the room and a sign that read, 'The far door is not an exit. It simply marks a rotation in perspective.' Alice thought hard about what that could mean as Napstablook looked at the colored figurines.

"Well this certainly sounds like there's another riddle up ahead. Let's do our best Napstablook," Alice spoke, trying to sound proud and like a leader.

"Ok…" Napstablook replied.

Moving down onto the next room, she noticed more pillars, another yellow and red doll, another text, and yet more spikes. The text read 'If you can see this, press the blue switch.' Alice began to wander around looking for a blue switch but then suddenly a strange creature that almost seemed to be a giant eye on legs with horns approached. A Loox, Alice identified it effortlessly.

"Dont pick on him please…" Napstablook urged.

"I shan't." Alice replied.

"Please don't pick on me." The Loox joined in the conversation with a frail voice.

"I… I assure you I wont…" Alice responded a bit flustered.

Strange bubbles floated towards Alice but some acidic tears from Napstablook helped nullify them.

"Finally someone gets it." Loox said with an unmistakable relief.

It then proceeded to depart leaving Alice and Napstablook to continue to work towards this riddle. After looking around the room, Alice noticed behind one of the pillars was a blue switch.

"Oh! I didn't even notice this," Alice exclaimed surprised and pressed it, a clicking sound meaning it was successful.

In the room beyond the now absent spikes, there was a similar layout as the last room but the blue doll was much more visible this time. Reading the new text on the wall, Alice realized she would need to press a red switch this time. Alice sighed a bit, these riddles were getting a bit tiring and she felt like she hadn't been able to catch a proper break. Pressing the red switch did lower the spikes nonetheless and the ghost and girl moved forward much quicker than the last room. The final room had more pillars and a blue doll and a text…

"The designs of these riddles are beginning to leave a lot to be desired." Alice groaned at the repetitiveness.

"But this sign says a green one needs to be pushed this time…" Napstablook pointed out.

"Y-yes… but I've been traversing through these ruins quite a bit and at this point am all but ready to either see Toriel again or go somewhere new." Alice complained as she activated the green switch hidden behind a pillar.

"... A lot of monsters also feel that way... "

"... Huh?" Alice gasped when she heard Napstablook say something very intriguing to her.

"... I-it's nothing..." Napstablook look away, worried it had said something that had offended Alice.

"Well actually… that reminded me of something Toriel spoke to me about. She said monsters have been trapped down here ever since a war of some sort occurred. Does that mean the monsters want to escape?" Alice inquired as they carried onto the next room.

The next room was actually quite beautiful and benevolent, suggesting nothing to do with riddles here. In addition to a large pile of leaves, there was some green ivy along the ground and it was clear this room had a large hallway to the left and a path forward. Alice was definitely thankful to not have to deal with anymore puzzles as those were getting increasingly boring. _Riddles are only as much fun as the length you do them,_ Alice thought to herself.

"... Yeah… the monsters feel scared and trapped with nowhere else to go down here… they really want the barrier to come down… but I don't really think I should tell you all this… I mean… I'm not that knowledgable about it…" Napstablook confessed.

"Oh… well that's alright, I could always ask Toriel about it if I really wished to." Alice comforted Napstablook as she decided to move along the forward path.

"... Just know the monsters are working on it… and have been working on it for a long time…" Napstablook spoke a bit more seriously this time, as though trying to warn her.

"That's very brave of them."

With these words, Alice soon came upon another Froggit. Currently being the most sociable monsters she'd encountered randomly, Alice approached it eagerly.

"How are you this fine day?" Alice asked it.

"Fine. Just between you and me… I saw TORIEL come out of here just a little while ago. She was carrying some groceries. I didn't ask what they were for… We're all too intimidated to talk to her." It croaked.

"Oh you don't need to be… well I suppose she is very protective but she truthfully is a very nice lady." Alice replied considering the stern expressions Toriel had shown her before.

"If you say so human…" The Froggit said.

Feeling proud of herself for sticking up for Toriel, Alice noticed another corridor by the Froggit and went forward it to see a dazzling sight. She saw majestic buildings with domes, windows, all in a gorgeous if dreary dimness. It was the sort of sight you'd see from the tallest tower of a castle and it was by far the most beautiful thing Alice had seen in these ruins yet. Alice's eyes were sparkling as she said,

"Oh how stunning! Is this the world beyond the Ruins?"

"...Yeah… part of it… huh… never really saw this before… nn!" Napstablook's eyes trailed as it spoke before it flinched.

"What… why'd you flinch?" Alice asked curiously.

"... That…"

"W-what do yo- OH!" Alice gasped in fright.

Lying on the ground was something Alice had saw before here… a knife. There was something a bit more fake and even rubbery about the knife but just the idea of seeing another blade was anything but reassuring to Alice. Approaching closer and Alice could see it was indeed plastic. The idea and concept of it though was utterly terrifying given what Alice had been tempted with earlier. Worrying about if Chara had left it here or not, Alice calmly told Napstablook,

"L-let's just leave it here…"

"I agree…"

With that the two of them departed the room and returned to the main hall with the ivy and the leaves. With only one new direction to go Alice and Napstablook made a right from where they had left the Froggit, and continued onward. In a very unique room and even majestic room, they found a very large and ancient tree barren of leaves with a pile of them lying appropriately under its branches. Furthermore, a voice rang out as soon as Alice and Napstablook entered,

"Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would."

"That's Toriel!" Alice pointed out to Napstablook.

Sure enough, the elegant goat woman appeared and stopped by the tree to pull out her phone. It seemed she was about to make another call to Alice when her eyes caught the sight of Alice and Napstablook. Looking very surprised, Toriel rushed over to them.

"Alice! You're here… but how did you get here? Did this ghost escort you here?" She asked after glancing at Napstablook.

"Yeah… she asked me to help accompany her and wanted me to meet you so… here I am… I'm Napstablook…" Napstablook introduced itself nicely.

"Oh that's truly generous of you. Thank you. I have heard there was a ghost who visited these ruins from other monsters but it's very nice to know you are kind." Toriel bowed respectfully as she praised the ghost.

"... I-it was really nothing… she just seemed like she could've used my help… and I was worried I'd spoil her fun…" Napstablook said shyly.

"Oh but you simply made things a lot more fun and interesting for me Napstablook. I hope we can meet again." Alice added sincerely.

"...S-sure… you know where to find me… bye…" Napstablook said and disappeared.

 _I can't wait to tell my sister that I befriended a ghost,_ Alice thought with a small grin. To her surprise Toriel put her hands on Alice's shoulders and spoke,

"Are you hurt? There, there, I will heal you. I should not have left you alone for so long. It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this."

"A surprise… oh so you were preparing something for me? Is it the butterscotch cinnamon dessert you told me about?" Alice inquired.

"Err… well I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Come, small one." Toriel blushed a bit and soon led Alice past the tree.

It was then that Alice noticed Toriel was guiding her to what looked like a beautiful and quaint house in the ruins. With two open windows and an open door. As Toriel walked inside, Alice couldn't help but feel determined at the cue and tidy house. When Alice entered, the first thing she noticed was a large stairway leading to a bottom floor of some sort, pleasant cream and chocolate colors and brown wood floors, a cabinet with a gorgeous flower in a vase perched on it, a bookcase filled with books, and a simple wall lamp. The house looked just the sort fit for the animals that Alice had envisioned in her Wonderland. _It feels like I dreamt it so long ago when it was only morning…_ Alice thought with a slight melancholy. But the sight of a clearly excited Toriel made Alice feel a lot more confident.

"Do you smell that? Surprise! It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here. So I will hold off on snail pie for tonight." Toriel told Alice with the biggest smile Alice had seen from her yet.

"Thank you so much and… snail pie…? That doesn't really sound very… um… appetizing to be honest." Alice admitted looking down.

 _Between the Spider Donut and snail pie what sounds less revolting…_ Alice asked herself, being reminded of the delicious but dubiously made dessert she had earlier. Toriel simply laughed.

"It is a lot better than it sounds my dear. I know of people who would describe it as an amazing dish… Here, I have another surprise for you." Toriel spoke quite dreamily for a moment before heading down the right hallway.

Alice's mind was very curious to see all the intriguing things up close and personal but it was also very worn out from all the riddles and traveling. She was perfectly hoping for Toriel to lead her to a bedroom to take a well-earned rest. So Alice followed after Toriel after stifling a yawn. In this hallway was a pristine golden appearance with a psychedelic carpet on the ground, more lights on the walls, more cabinets, and more potted plants. Toriel stopped and took Alice by the hand.

"This is it…" Toriel said as she led Alice to the first door on the left.

"A room of your own. I hope you like it!" Toriel announced.

"Oh why that's simply too kind of you to give me Toriel. Thank you…" Alice spoke in deepest gratitude.

Toriel smiled brightly and even rubbed Alice's head gently. Alice blushed a bit, caught off-guard by the gentle and simply loving gesture. It felt a lot more sincere than if it had been from anybody else. It just said a lot about Toriel to Alice and made Alice even more glad she had listened to her instead of Chara earlier. Just at that moment Alice noticed a distinct smell…

"Hmm is something burning?" Alice asked.

"Oh um… make yourself at home!" Toriel stammered and quickly went to go see the source of the smell.

Free and on her own again, Alice entered the room with a natural grace. When she entered, she gasped. The room was positively brimming with charm and fine taste. There was a perfectly sized bed, beautiful plushies that looked similar to Toriel or maybe an elephant, a toy chest, a hand-drawn picture of a flower, a closet filled with clothes, a table with a lamp, a bookshelf with figures and a picture frame, a box of kid's shoes and so much wonder. As much as Alice really wanted to play and explore, she was simply exhausted and the very warm pale red colors of the room made her even more tired. Without a word, she turned off the lamp's light, crawled into the bed, and let herself go to dreamland.

When she came to, she found herself standing in what appeared to be a part of the ruin She looked around curiously, wondering what brought her here. It was when her eyes jumped to something unusual… or at the very least curious. There was Toriel, standing in front of a giant door but her expression appeared to be… a pained smile. It definitely was not the kind of expression Alice could imagine Toriel giving to her so it made Alice worried. But even more surprisingly was there was something in front of Toriel, their back facing Alice. On closer inspection, this person had long platinum blonde locks, a lavender dress, a grey… ribbon?

"I-is that supposed to me?" Alice recognized the appearance of the mysterious figure almost instantly.

It appeared to look a lot like Alice and how she looked like right now except the colors seemed… paler, even dustier. It was a bit unnerving just seeing someone even dressed like her so Alice approached and prepared to ask something when she suddenly noticed… the figure's hands behind her back. They were clasping something tightly, almost as if they were trying to break it. _Is that a…_ Alice thought as she suddenly began to sweat. It was most indefinitely… A KNIFE. It was unmistakingly the same knife that Alice had been handed to Chara earlier and this person had it.

"Toriel! NO!" Alice tried to warn Toriel but it was too late.

"SHINK!" A sound much too painful for the ears rang out.

A gash impossibly long and big marred Toriel's robe and her face appeared to somehow have a crack or perhaps a slash mark appear. But what hurt Alice the most was Toriel's stupefied expression filled with unfathomable shock and dismay. The figure had indeed stabbed Toriel with the knife, their expression still hidden from Alice. Before Alice could even scream, Toriel said what was perhaps the most horrifying series of words that she had ever heard in her life,

" _You… at my most vulnerable moment… To think I was worried you wouldn't fit in out there… Eheheheh! You really are no different from them!"_

A grin, oozing with almost a bold respect and horrifying sympathy found it's way to Toriel's face as she finished this. She then knelt down, her life clearly fading away.

"Ha… ha…" Toriel appeared to dissolve into dust as she uttered a weak laugh.

A heart appeared to be left in it's place before it shattered into two and broke into pieces. Alice was left breathless and felt as though she was to have a heart attack. She looked weakly at the figuring realizing in horror why her clothes were so dusty… _They are dusty with the dust left behind by slain monsters,_ Alice thought.

"It's the only way… the only way to get her to open the door… slay her…" The figure spoke in a voice that Alice could've sworn was not hers.

It did sound like hers but there was something inhumane and unearthly about it. As though this figure was possessed by something menacing and malevolent. Alice just whimpered in terrified gloom. The figure slowly turned it's head…

" _ISN'T THAT RIGHT?!'_ "Alice" said with a grin that only belonged to Chara.

"AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Alice shrieked in terror as she woke up from what had not been a pleasant trip to Dreamland.

She rose and breathed heavily as she considered the ramifications of the dream. If she had killed those monsters… that was what she was going to become… someone willing to kill Toriel. But what if that was the only way…? Chara did say Toriel wanted to keep her here forever and have Alice live with her but… but…

"T-that's too cruel… why won't… oh there must be some other way…" Alice mumbled weakly and saddened.

That was when Alice noticed something on the floor, something delicate and decadent. Something that would represent a choice, consisted of a choice, and provided a choice. Butterscotch or Cinnamon, stay or leave, pacify or slay… On the floor was a slice of Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie.

To Be Continued...


	5. Go Down in Flames

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 4 Go Down in Flames

"... This is marvelous. I must say I would love if she were to bake my birthday cake." Alice complimented to herself as she spooned more of the Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie.

The crust was flaky, the rich creamy texture was simply perfect, with the delicate sweetness of both ingredients synchronizing quite perfectly for Alice. Eating this dessert definitely was helping Alice recover from the shock and stress of that nightmare. It seemed so realistic to her… almost as though it had really happened at some point. _But the idea of that actually happening is absurd,_ Alice thought as she hadn't ever seen that door before. What bothered her most about it though was that it implied Toriel would either succeed in keeping her here, or die trying to keep Alice from leaving. While Alice had to be impressed at such a high amount of dedicated on Toriel's part to keep her safe, the curious little girl needed to go. She needed to see Waterfall, needed to return to her own time, and quite frankly needed to not lose her life down here.

"I suppose I should go explore the rest of this house." Alice gave herself some good advice as she finished her dessert and left her room.

Venturing out into the quaint hallway, she continued to go further down the hallway to discover another room. Surprised to find it unlocked, she opened it and peered inside. This room was in a gorgeous shade of blue strikingly similar to Alice's own dress. The decor of the room did suggest that it was more aged and also more fitting for an adult than a child with what appeared to be a work desk present. It had an open book and notes on it as well as a lamp and a wooden chair. A very, very big bed definitely confirmed this was Toriel's room for Alice couldn't imagine anyone else here being able to sleep on that bed without being dwarfed. Cacti and exotic flora were potted and placed beautifully with surprisingly golden flowers placed on top of a large bookshelf. There was also a bucket besides the desk and a dresser. _Toriel has very fashionable taste,_ Alice thought impressed and ventured inside.

"... Are those snails…?" Alice suddenly felt revolted as she realized what was in the bucket.

Indeed there were snails crawling amidst one another at the bottom of the bucket. Taking into consideration also how Toriel offered snail pie earlier and Alice began to fear Toriel had an unhealthy obsession for the strange creatures. Examining the chair next, Alice was surprised to find out it had a name.

"Chairiel… that doesn't sound very original…" Alice critiqued.

Alice next took a look at the thing that drew her attention the most, the open book on the desk. To her delight it was a diary in Toriel's possession.

"Wonderful, this should give me just the information I need to uncover more about this world." Alice practically clapped her hands in excitement.

She noticed a passage that had been circled and read it very carefully. 'Why did the skeleton want a friend? Because she was feeling BONELY…'

"... What sort of rubbish-" Alice, utterly stupefied by what she had just read scrolled down the rest of the passage swiftly.

"Why this is all jokes… and bad puns…" She exclaimed in disappointment.

Far from anything revealing more about the Underground or Toriel or even Waterfall, it was simply a joke-book. Alice felt let down as she was hoping for something about Toriel's past, like something that explained her motives for keeping her down here. Instead she got something that sounded like it belonged to a child and not an adult.

"Then again I suppose it means Toriel is very light-hearted and likes to be comedic…" Alice considered optimistically.

Turning to the bookshelf, Alice took out a book and examined it closely. It turned out to be an encyclopedia of subterranean plants. Considering how Flowey turned out, Alice was quite curious. It would be refreshing to know what Flowey's species was and how he was able to pull off what he did. She turned to the middle and soon learned about Typha; a group of wetland flowering plants with brown, oblong seedpods. This species of flora was also known more commonly as 'water sausages'. Alice was slightly relieved to learn that botany down here at least had some resemblance to the real world but frowned upon learning Flowey and his potential species was not in this book. Turning to the dresser, she opened a drawer to find it filled with socks.

"Well I'm definitely not a detective and this is certainly not a mystery but I expected more clues to come out of this…" Alice mumbled to herself a bit put out with not finding anything.

However, when Alice left the room, she was surprised to see something familiar further down the hall. It was the same mysterious white rabbit with the gold waistcoat and watch. It was simply staring at her, sniffling much like how a real rabbit would before it slowly made it's way towards the last room in the hall. Alice, relieved to see something this fascinating again, gleefully followed it only to find the room door was locked and that a sign said "Room under renovations".

"Hmm… did someone else live here at one point? Although I feel in this isolated place, Toriel is not one to have company… did she have someone special in her life?" Alice asked the Rabbit.

To her astonishment, the Rabbit shook its head but then nodded, as though replying to both her questions. _So then perhaps this room is another guest room,_ Alice concluded. But the way the rabbit had nodded to her second question meant Toriel did have someone special in her life. Now the way Alice had asked it implied someone along the lines of a husband but considering the circumstances, it could also mean a child of her own or a sister or brother. _Very curious…_

"Well thank you for answering Mr. Rabbit. Well then, I suppose now we shall go see Toriel again…" Alice said but then frowned a bit as she finished her sentence.

Something was telling her that the next meeting with Toriel would force Alice to make an important decision. Stay here or leave by her own will. Murdering was beyond Alice's logic and ideals but that nightmare almost seemed to imply that was the only way. _Even so,_ Alice grimly reasoned, _I don't have the knife anymore…_ As she pondered in an increasingly negative way, she felt something rub against her leg. Alice looked down and saw that it was indeed the Rabbit who had done so. Alice was granted some solace in knowing the Rabbit was displaying genuine care and kindness to her by doing this and all the other things it had done.

"Y-yes… maybe if I explain and ask politely, Toriel would let me go… I never know until I try as some say." Alice spoke with a bit more confidence than before and headed towards the entrance.

Back in the entryway, the Rabbit following her every move like a golden shadow, Alice decided to take a look at the things she skipped. Peering inside the drawer to the left of the stairs she found an old calendar from the beginning of… '201X'...

"... S-so it's true…" Alice's confidence quickly began to fade as she was brutally reminded of the time difference she was caught in.

While she had of course dreamed of an exciting future, she had never imagined something along these lines. Plus this was practically a whole new universe to her where monsters had apparently ruled the Earth and everyone she knew was left behind in the real world. While some monsters had been kind, others hadn't and everything was so new and strange like the cellphone. Alice put the calendar away with a sigh and decided to pass on investigating the bookshelf. _The way books have been here I doubt I'll find anything useful,_ Alice idealized. Alice smiled a bit more realizing she was about to see Toriel as she examined the only pathway Alice had yet to take beyond downstairs. As she entered though, she didn't notice that the Rabbit had vanished yet again…

Alice was pleasantly surprised at what awaited her in what appeared to be the living room of this house. Toriel was sitting on an extremely comfy-looking lounge chair wearing reading glasses and peering daintily into a book. A large fireplace was near her with a perfectly sized fire burning and giving warmth. A rack of tools was in the very corner of the room as well as another giant bookshelf filled with books and a living room table with three chairs. Toriel's interior decorating was divine in Alice's eyes as she felt instantly welcome and was visually dazzled by the beautiful furniture. Approaching Toriel to say something, Toriel beat Alice to it,

"Up already, I see? Um, I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here. There are so many old books I want to share."

"You do seem to be very fond of literature, why is that if I may ask?" Alice asked Toriel sweetly.

"Well my child, books are filled with so much information, so many happy hours spent, and weave the most wonderful tales. I also have always dreamed of being a teacher. Books are an essential tool to have if you want to learn… hmm, but when I put it like that I suppose it isn't all that surprising to you that I want to be a teacher." Toriel elaborated.

"I think that's wonderful. My sister often helps teach me about history and proper mannerisms and in a sense, that makes you remind me of her." Alice replied earnestly.

"I'm glad…" Toriel gave a beautiful smile and turned to read her book again.

Alice was feeling an increasing guilt about her desire to leave the RUINS when Toriel was by far, the most innocent and caring person she had met yet. To even ask to leave would probably be a grave insult to Toriel's dignity and mercy. In fact, learning about her goal of teaching and probably that Toriel wanted to teach her what she knew seemed like a dilemma of a whole different level. Alice wasn't even sure what to say next for the longest while… Noticing another room that Alice had yet to explore gave Alice a bit more faith and she went to see what was in the room.

"Oh my… this is the kitchen she was talking about." Alice spoke when she first entered what was clearly the last room in this house.

With all the essentials one would find in a kitchen from the stove to the oven to the sink, there was no room for argument. There was also a beautiful pie that had already been cut lying on the cabinet, probably the Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie. Kitchen utensils like mitts and pans hanged on the wall and there was also what appeared to be some unusual machine next to it on the right that emitted perfectly cool air. Another interesting device Alice wasn't quite familiar with was a large device with a longer and a shorter door for a total of two. When she opened it, she felt a waft of cold air and saw that there was a brand-name chocolate bar inside.

"Very curious… this must be more technology that have been developed in this time." Alice thought turning to the cooling device on the wall and this sort of food storage device.

Upon closer inspection, she also noticed some white fur caught in the drain of the sink which was probably Toriels. Then in the cupboards of the sink she found gingerbread monster cookie cutters which were very adorable. She looked at the pie and noticed it was quite large and that she was feeling full just by looking at it. Most curiously was that the stovetop was very clean, almost brand new. _Despite the fact that you would need a stovetop to cook as well,_ Alice thought amazed. Remembering how Toriel had conjured that fireball gave Alice the idea that Toriel used that same magic to cook. Alice looked around eagerly but not because she was curious… but because she was trying to delay the inevitable. Asking Toriel to let her go and wondering what would become of her.

"But… I must see this Waterfall and find out how to get home. My sister and Dinah are waiting for me…" Alice attempted a pep talk to get her motivated enough to make the fated attempt.

It worked minorly enough as Alice took a deep breath, sighed, and returned to the living room where Toriel was. As Alice arrived, Toriel took notice.

"Oh, hello Alice! Did you want to hear about the book I'm reading? It is called "72 Uses for Snails." Toriel proposed to Alice.

"... N-no thank you Toriel... " Alice grimaced but tried to sound sincere in her reply.

 _I'm beginning to sympathize with snails now,_ Alice thought as she took notice of a history book on a bookshelf and snatched it up. 'Trapped behind the barrier and fearful of further human attacks, we retreated. Far, far into the earth we walked, until we reached the cavern's end. This was our new home, which we named… "Home". As great as our king is, he is pretty lousy at names.'

"This king sounds very lively… fighting to help free the monsters and yet being unable to properly name a new land," Alice spoke out loud, reasoning with herself again.

After all giving what Nabastablook had told her, the monsters had and were currently trying to break the barrier that imprisoned the monsters down here. It appeared as though their fear of humans had worn away with time given that breaking the barrier meant they would no doubt encounter humans again. Then this mention of a king was also quite interesting as it meant the monsters had a monarchy for a government, much like in England. However she heard the rough sound of a book slamming down that was not Alice's. Alice gasped and turned to see Toriel looking strictly at Alice.

"The king… is a changed man from that history book Alice. I wouldn't spend much time thinking about him. He's done a lot of bad things…" Toriel's voice hinted at deep anger and even bitterness about this king.

Suddenly Alice was reminded of something that she had nearly forgotten. Hadn't Chara told her what was needed to break the barrier already? ' _They've come up with a way… a plan to do to this. They need the power of seven human SOULS.'_ …. And knowing what Toriel had just said and about what Nabstablook said… it sounded as though the king and the monsters were… HUNTING. DOWN. HUMANS. Then if that was true… Alice suddenly felt very afraid but while she was doing this, Toriel flinched as though she had seen something shocking and then leaned back in her chair with an embarrassed look. It seemed she had said something she hadn't meant to and looked displeased her with herself. Laughing it off she said,

"T-that's alright my child… which reminds me, what did you think about your slice of pie?"

"It was quite lovely… did you learn how to bake yourself or had someone taught you?" Alice inquired with a poor attempt to hide her doubt.

Realizing at last the truth behind the history book and the full meaning of Nabstablook's words, Alice realized that outside the ruins… she was in high demand. She was essentially a wanted criminal, to be killed so that her SOUL's power could be used for the monsters benefit. Considering Toriel's good-hearted nature and how she just reacted about hearing the king, it seemed as though Toriel disapproved of this entirely. For good reason as well. Alice was now wracked with a horrible sense of confusion and turmoil. Going meant putting herself into the lion's den but staying here meant putting herself in a pit of quicksand. Both would leave to a future where Alice would likely die unhappy. Yet… Waterfall… her cat and sister… home… those sounded so desirable. And… how could she deny her curiousity?

"I've always been very good at domestic skills like cooking and cleaning my dear. Fire magic also comes very much in handy too. By the way I hope to start you on a curriculum tomorrow Alice, so that you may learn all that I want to teach you." Toriel spoke gently.

"Toriel, I'm afraid I simply… can't have a curriculum and I cannot stay here. I want to know if it is possible to leave these Ruins," Alice finally asked, her conscience not feeling very bright.

Toriel's look shifted from genuine happiness to a startled and worried look. _Yet,_ Alice observed, _it appears she's been asked this before._ There was a quality to Toriel's expression that hinted at having faced his question before by somebody else and the panic made it all the more nerve-wracking for Alice. Toriel closed her eyes for several moments and seemed to be sweating. Then at last she spoke to Alice grimly,

"...I have to do something. Stay here."

Alice's eyes widened and she voiced a gasp. This was what Chara warned her about. Toriel would and most definitely could keep Alice in here if she wanted to. There was no other possible thing Toriel could be going to do beyond ensuring Alice couldn't leave. Setting her book aside, Toriel marched past Alice and presumably towards the stairs. Alice stood still for a few moments twiddling her fingers and looking between the comfort of the living room and the stairway that Toriel soon descended down. Time seemed to move so slowly as Alice tried to contemplate a choice. She recalled when she first voiced her desire to see the Underground and find a way home to Chara and how he had encouraged her it could be done. _That was before he handed me that knife though,_ Alice realized. Alice, afraid of thinking about the other aspect of her choice, decided to go on that encouragement alone.

"Toriel WAIT!" Alice pleaded as she dashed towards the stairs.

Little did she know in her fearful rush, the White Rabbit appeared again and hopped after her with a magical grace and subtle trail of golden sparkles. With her hair flying and her legs carrying her as fast as she could, Alice found that the stairs led her down to a hallway strikingly similar to the outside ruins. Toriel was in the middle of the hallway standing there, her back facing Alice. Alice stopped in concern when she saw Toriel's position as she was sure Toriel would've simply gone ahead and do what she intended to do. Toriel then talked to Alice,

"You wish to know how to return "home," do you not?"

"Y-yes Toriel… it's not that I don't enjoy your company because I sincerely think you are a lovely woman, it's just-"

"Ahead of us lies the RUINS. A one-way exit to the rest of the underground. I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave again." Toriel interrupted Alice with a shocking reveal.

"But why?! I… I cannot be confined here forever… what about Waterfall? O-or returning to my time…? A-and Dinah!" Alice lost her composure and began screaming to Toriel with reasons to not destroy it.

Toriel's head lowered.

"A-Alice… please be a good child and return to your room. Going to Waterfall is not worth the risk…" Toriel said and continued on her way down the hallway.

"W-what risk…? I mean the monsters are friendly right…? Or at least… they are occupied with more important matters?" Alice asked worriedly.

It was at the moment she noticed the Rabbit by her side and was definitely comforted by that fact. It was always reassuring to not be alone, especially when she was face to face with a clearly more powerful figure. Even so, Alice's mind was being tortured by the details she knew. The worst part is that Alice knew what the risk was entirely, that her soul would be ripped from her body and she would die a horrible death. So she had asked Toriel about the risk in an attempt to sound like she didn't know any better. _Is this really for the best?_ Alice asked herself momentarily as she continued to pursue Toriel. The Rabbit followed her every move, stopping whenever Alice stopped, and seemed loyal to her.

"Every human that falls down here meets the same fate Alice… I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave. They die. Those are the risks that I'm trying to protect you from."

"They… die…" Alice almost seemed to accept Toriel's viewpoint.

She finally realized something else about Toriel's statements. She had said 'again and again' meaning it happened various times firsthand to the goat mom. ' _They have six souls already'_ Chara had told her. T _hose six souls they have must've been… humans Toriel had attempted to keep in here before…_ Alice felt her knees grow weak but the comfort of the Rabbit and the sole desire to leave was the only thing keeping her afloat. As she felt crushed and dispirited, she let her dreams carry her forward. Toriel was clearly disappointed and shook her head.

"You naive child… you are blinded by curiousity and are oblivious to many things… If you leave the ruins… they… ASGORE… will kill you…I am only protecting you, do you not understand?" Toriel spoke to Alice severely like a mother scolding her child for doing something out of line.

"ASGORE…? T-that's the-" Alice gasped as the pieces came together in her mind.

"Yes… he is the king… and he will show no mercy… now please go to your room." Toril kept moving on.

"W-wait! H-how do you know h-he… wouldn't… spare.. b-but what about… Waterfall..?." Alice began feeling tears reach her eyes as she followed after Toriel with lower and lower morale.

The Rabbit followed Alice as she noticed that the hallway took a turn to the left. Toriel once again stood still which only served to pressure Alice further. It was as though she was specifically waiting to attempt to dissuade her from going. Alice wished she wasn't here… that she was in a much more comfortable environment for her, like home. But right now she felt as though she had no real choice, no real answer to her problems. She was facing the goat mother who only wanted her to stay and not be killed for her soul but yet she was also facing the idea of being imprisoned in the ruins forever. Both sides, Alice's dreams and Toriel's sanctity were justified and had compelling arguments. So that was why Alice's steps were much weaker and slower than ever before.

"Alice… that ghost didn't know any better… and I wish I hadn't let him get your hopes up. He only described the destination and not how perilous the journey is. That is why I have to do this. Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning," In a voice both heartbreaking and inspiring, Toriel advised Alice for the final time before she did approach that door.

"Why… why do I have to do this…?" Alice asked herself tragically.

A number of things were rushing through her mind. The revelation that outside the ruins she was practically a target for a monster manhunt, the evidence of how far Toriel was trying to persuade Alice to stay and that she had seen those who shared her dream fall, the nightmare that suggested what would play out and result in Toriel's death and Alice's grim triumph, and finally how close she was to finally seeing Waterfall and the other parts of the Underground. There was also the matter that Alice had no idea how she could possibly duel Toriel if it did come down to it, Alice being just a little girl and Toriel a magician of flame. Then something occurred to her. Pacifism. Like Toriel had taught her earlier, pacifism had indeed kept Alice alive thus far. She was able to convince all the monsters in the ruins to not attack her and even make friends with them. Maybe that was what could keep her alive out there too… keep the monsters from hunting her down. _What if that's the answer to this riddle?_ Alice considered with a hint of hope and determination.

"... Toriel, I'm sorry…" Alice spoke up bitterly but also more determined as she followed Toriel to the end of the hall.

The door was more clear to Alice than it had been in the nightmare, the only similarity being that Toriel was standing in front of it like a tombstone for a grave. Big and purple, marked with ancient markings, there was almost a great presence and great power it possessed. Like Pandora's Box or the Holy Grail. It was the only way into the Underground from what everyone had said… Chara… Toriel… there was no mistaking it. Alice meekly approached, the Rabbit at her heel, trying not to face Toriel. Toriel then spoke in a harsh, disappointed tone,

"You want to leave so badly? Hmph. You are just like the others Alice. I'll say you are more inquisitive and a bit more refined than the others but you share their same weakness. There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself…"

"Prove myself…?" Alice gasped flabbergasted.

Suddenly the heat of the room seemed to increase by a significant amount and Toriel was surrounded by a circlet of flames. Alice placed her hands on her heart, feeling as though her heart would burst as she saw and knew what this display of power meant. _Win and leave or lose and stay here forever, you must challenge me..._ Alice thought poetically, trying to give herself some clarity as she stared dumbfounded. In the end, fear won over logic.

"W-wait… Toriel… please… I-I couldn't-" Alice began sobbing.

"Prove to me you are strong enough to survive," Toriel spoke powerfully and turned to face Alice, her determination plain and clear on her face.

Alice didn't even understand how things had led up to this. It was clear now Toriel did know what was best for her and perhaps… Alice would die if she left these ruins. She had been at the mercy of Flowey after all... But then that would mean having to accept being in the future, trapped in the ruins, without anyone she loved or anything she knew beside her. A jail… a game over… Alice didn't want that. What she did want was not to die but to choose her fate. Despair at having to face Toriel to achieve this was what brought her to tears.

"T-Toriel… no… I can't do this to you… y-you saved me…!" Alice spoke tearfully.

"..." Toriel was absolutely silent.

The flames then shot out at Alice, as though charging forth as a stampede. Alice narrowly avoided them, not nearly as precisely as previous evasions but still successful. The Rabbit hopped and even did a flip to avoid the flames itself though Alice wasn't sure why it was here anymore. Toriel didn't hold back as she sent fireballs of flame and sorcery at Alice continuously. Intricate patterns of attacks beautiful enough to be made into an artwork flew at quick speeds. Alice, still sobbing, continued to dodge the attacks the best she could though she often felt the fireballs brush by her sleeves, apron, or skirt. Alice observed Toriel, noticing the goat mother was acting aloof.

"What are you doing? Attack or run away!" She ordered Alice.

"B-but I can't… I don't even have the means to attack you… I know I-I am being selfish… but I also desire to leave…!" Alice wailed.

What Alice didn't notice yet again, understandably enough in this circumstance, was a change in the Rabbit. It appeared to be sparkling a bit brighter, a golden radiance surrounding it. Toriel's fiery dance showed no signs of ceasing as Toriel continued to question Alice.

"What are you proving this way? You are only avoiding responsibility… lost in your daydreams. Fight me or leave!" She demanded, taking a deep breath.

"Aughhh!" At that precise moment, Alice was hit by one of the fireballs and screamed.

It didn't singe her clothes or herself oddly enough, but the heat and pain was very much present. Perhaps this was a unique aspect of these magical fireballs but it still hurt Alice. She fell to the ground as she continued to sob.

"Toriel please… let me go… I know you care about me from the bottom of your heart b-but… didn't you inform me the proper way of h-handling battles?" Alice offered.

"Stop it…. Stop looking at me that way… it's true I taught you the way I've always known but…" Toriel looked away from Alice.

For the first time, Toriel's expression seemed to diminish in pride and resolution, now looking torn. The Rabbit seemed to be flashing periodically in gold spurts of light. Alice suddenly began to feel like she had the answer… the way to avoid that nightmare from coming true and still secure the right to be free. The way that had been presented to her by the one attempting to keep her trapped here. Alice was filled with determination.

"Go away…!" Toriel tried to plead aloofly but couldn't hide sadness on her face.

"Please Toriel, end this assault… y… you taught me what I need to survive… to be determined… that way is to not fight or run away… but to PACIFY." Alice said resolutely.

At that moment, something of an incredible magical nature happened. The Rabbit, now comprised completely of golden light, hopped gallantly into the air. Then it appeared to metamorphose into something grand and divided. Golden drops of water began to fall and pour onto the area, dousing the magical flames conjured by Toriel. To any ordinary bystander, one would assume this to be rain but Alice knew what they really were. Or at least she had a particularly closer idea to what they were. She had dreamed of once growing to giant proportions and her tears had created a flood. The tears of a giant woman. It was a vivid, extraordinary dream of her in her Wonderland. So it seemed that through sheer DETERMINATION, she had brought a fantasy of hers to life. Chara had said human souls were a lot stronger than monster souls through determination so had Alice tapped into her soul to gain this newfound power? _That seems to be my only answer at the moment_ , Alice decided.

"T-this is…" Toriel was astounded but still clearly saddened.

Alice seized the opportunity to run to Toriel's side and grasp both her wrists to keep her from casting more magic. The golden teardrops disappeared and the Rabbit didn't even reappear. It was just Alice and Toriel.

"Toriel… this is how far I'm willing to go… this is how much I want to go… I understand that I may be hunted and killed out there but… I have learned so much from you… I wish to put it to good use and find a path that will help everyone." Alice spoke as compassionately as she could.

Toriel still seemed in denial. Having seen six children lose their lives so tragically by leaving the ruins meant that Toriel didn't want to take anymore chances. Regardless of the power Alice displayed, there was no way of knowing if that would happen again...

"B-but Alice… I know you want to leave… but please… go upstairs now… I promise I will take good care of you here." Toriel offered so sweetly that Alice began to cry again.

"I-I know you would… sniff…" She sobbed.

"I know we do not… have… much…" Toriel even seemed to become a bit teary-eyed and wiped the first ones away from her eyes.

"... Ngh…"

"We can have a good life here. Why are you making this so difficult? P-please go… upstairs…" Toriel tearfully requested.

"I… I've only e-ever wanted… a world of my own… a Wonderland… a-and… I want to see it more than anything else…" Alice then proceeded to hug Toriel as she made a powerful statement.

"Haha… pathetic, is it not? I cannot save... even a single child." Toriel confessed as she also began to cry and hugged back Alice.

"... Toriel…"

Alice had developed such a powerful and giant respect for Toriel that this whole exchange was killing her inside. It was like she was denying Toriel for the goddess of mercy that she had proven herself to be. Her own wishes seemed like such a slap to the face for what Toriel had given her. Yet Toriel right now appeared to be accepting Alice's point of view at last and was giving into Alice's demands. Alice felt so cruel… like she was betraying Toriel's trust in her. The one reprieve though was that it was clear Alice didn't need to kill Toriel to be free. So she had once again proven Chara's cold advice wrong.

"No, I understand. You would just be unhappy trapped down here. The RUINS are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this. My expectations… my loneliness… my fears… For you, my child… I will put this aside." Toriel accepted Alice's words once and for all having calmed down a bit.

"T-thank you so much Toriel…" Alice curtsied as gracefully as she could, still teary-eyed.

Toriel smiled and wiped away Alice's tears for her.

"You definitely were taught well by your sister… if you truly wish to leave the RUINS Alice… I will not stop you. You seem to have taken my advice to heart… and that DETERMINATION you showed me…. might be more than enough to protect you. However, when you leave… please do not come back." Toriel instructed Alice.

"... I-I will…" Alice sniffled.

"... I'm glad you understand." Then Toriel proceeded to hug Alice tenderly and sweetly one more time.

Alice gladly hugged back, feeling as though she was going to miss Toriel deeply. She had done so much for Alice, and Alice felt that she needed to repay her in someway. She wasn't sure on how she was going to do it but… she figured there would be a way. The last of Alice's tears fell as she hugged the goat mom before Toriel parted away from her and spoke what would be the last words Alice would hear from her in these ruins,

"Goodbye, my child."

Toriel then proceeded to walk down to the hall and seemed to be heading home. But at at a certain point, she stopped and turned to look at Alice one more time. Alice felt it was necessary to repay that one look.

"I will never forget your kindness Toriel. I promise that if we ever meet again, I will bring you wonderful tales to tell." Alice curtsied once more as she declared selflessly to Toriel.

Toriel smiled brightly and appeared to get teary-eyed once more. Then she walked away down into the darkness of the hall.

"..." Alice fell to her knees for a moment, worn out from the drama and the battle.

She had never felt more proud and yet more hard on herself in her whole life. She was proud of being a pacifist, of earning her right to explore fair and square. On the other hand, she was hard on herself for practically throwing away what Toriel had so diligently and kindly given her. Alice needed to live, she needed to explore, she needed to achieve everything Toriel had entrusted her to do and that she trusted herself to accomplish. These doors appeared to have been unlocked so there was certainly no stopping her. But as Alice was sitting on her knees, to her greatest shock, she heard a strange voice on the other side of the door,

"Thank goodness.."

"...!" Alice flinched and instinctively turned to the door.

The voice she had heard… there was something gruff, masculine yet warm about it. As though it was coming from a good-natured yet serious uncle. It sounded relieved and the choice of words also suggested it was pleased at what it had heard. Still Alice felt quite spooked and slightly offended that her heartfelt moment with Toriel had been overheard by some outsider. What if it was a monster intent on hunting Alice down for her soul…? _Somehow though,_ Alice thought, _the tone and nature of that voice doesn't imply anything of that sort._ Alice wasn't sure about opening the door though quite yet so she waited anxiously for several minutes to see if the voice would speak up again. When it didn't, Alice got to her feet and faced the door wondering what she should do.

"Well… the most likely conclusion is that the voice was only listening in at this particular moment and they might've departed. However, that is no excuse to lower my guard so… I suppose this is the beginning." Alice shrugged her shoulders as she placed her hand on the door.

There was no turning back and nowhere to return to in the ruins. If she wanted to find WATERFALL or see more of this Wonderland she would have to go through this alone. She was unsure if Chara or Flowey would reappear during this journey but she was also keeping an eye out for them. After all, they had a grim influence it seems and could either mean trouble or an attempt to persuade her into doing something cruel. Persevering and feeling as though she was making her first real choice, Alice opened the door…

To Be Continued...


	6. Super Skeleton Bros

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 5 Super Skeleton Bros.

What awaited Alice beyond the door was an all too familiar face and an all too unnerving sight. A patch of grass on the ground, lit up by a luminous ray of light. FLOWEY was there looking at Alice with a smug and intimidating expression. After what Alice had endured though, she wasn't all too scared of the bullying blossom quite as much anymore. Furthermore, beyond where Flowey was, stood a purple entryway. _Beyond that door must be the rest of the Underground,_ Alice thought to herself eyeing the flower cautiously, _but I wonder what he has to say this time._ She was about to speak but Flowey beat her to it,

"Clever. Verrrryyy clever. You think you're really smart don't you?"

"I'd like to believe I am… I've been tutored well." Alice asserted herself with the dignity of a queen.

"Wow… and so modest too. In this world, it's kill or be killed. So you were able to play by your own rules. You spared the life of a single person." Flowey's expression shifted into the still very creepy soulless glare.

"Don't neglect the many other monsters of the ruins that I did spare. I have several witnesses to confirm this." Alice corrected.

"Bah, you didn't even make friends with them. Toriel doesn't even want you to visit her anytime after you go out of the RUINS. What do you think that says about your impressions Alice?" Flowey asked Alice.

Alice wasn't phased at all by his attempts to deceive her into mistrust. After all, she knew things from Chara and Toriel that explained why she would want to remain in hiding. If this king knew about Toriel and her RUINS… Toriel would more than likely be hunted down for aiding the humans. Or at least she'd be forced to join the hunt for Alice in this Underground. Thus Alice understood why Toriel had let her go and made her unable to utter a word or pay a visit towards the goat mother. Still, Alice had to confess that she was already missing Toriel's cooking and beautiful conversations.

"I believe it describes my impressions as perfectly suitable for this world. After all, while I do respect this world for having rules, it doesn't mean that I agree with all their rules, Much like with good and bad advice. There are people here who have absolutely no intent to harm and simply desire freedom and choice." She spoke eloquently to the flower.

At that moment though, she felt something quickly and tightly coil around her ankle. It appeared to be some sort of vine and it looked ominous and sentient. Flowey regarded her with a harsh expression. Such an expression confirmed that this viney entrapment was Flowey's doing. Alice began to wish she had more control over her DETERMINATION when it came to dealing with Flowey.

"How contrary of you little witch. Little do you know but you are a key reason why monsters down here have no choice. Here you are, feeling so great about yourself when really it'd be better if you were killed. What will your 'impressions' do when you meet a relentless killer? You'll die and you'll die and you'll die. Perhaps it'd be best if I put you out of your misery now…" He taunted Alice.

Alice shuddered nervously and looked anxious, trying to find a way to spin herself out of this web Flowey was weaving. Then she had an idea.

"I don't think that would be in your best interests. I have someone supporting me after all and if I go down, they would most definitely avenge me." She spoke as confidently as she could muster in the face of the plant.

"It sure as heck isn't TORIEL. Who is it then?" Flowey asked smugly.

"Well, to be perfectly frank it is the person who guided me down here. Chara." Alice spoke.

"...! WHAT did you just say…?!"

Alice had a hunch that Chara held a great deal of influence in just their name alone and so she had wisely decided to let Flowey know that she knew them as well. _Thus,_ Alice thought, _he would ideally leave me be and not threaten me as much anymore_. Indeed Flowey's expression changed from a villainous gloat to… a hopeful terror? Flowey's expression seemed to appear dismayed but also as though they knew exactly who she was talking about in a personal way. It was not subtle that Flowey appeared to want to know more about what she knew. The vines loosening around her ankles reflected and confirmed her theory.

"Chara… so you do know them." Alice pointed it out in a gentler voice.

"... More than anyone else…" What almost sounded like a completely different voice altogether seemed to answer her statement.

Alice suddenly frowned in a bit of confusion when she heard a strangely innocent, sweeter voice than anything she heard from Flowey. It reminded her of Toriel's kind tone yet the fact it was coming from such a devious character seemed mystifying and made Alice less confident. It did however revive a deep sense of curiousity within Alice. It seemed that the mere mention of Chara greatly impacted Flowey beyond what she had anticipated. Thus, Alice wanted to understand why.

"I beg your pardon Flowey but if I may as-"

"-NO. You may not ask little brat. Yo-you don't need to know why… I know Chara… you don't even deserve to know… what's the point of telling a soon-to-be corpse to begin with?" Suddenly Flowey snapped aggressively in his usual tone at Alice.

Alice instinctively cowered back, expecting another barrage of bullets to appear but they didn't. So it seemed that her knowledge of Chara was protecting her at the moment. What he also said just now struck Alice as very interesting... yet she didn't know how it was interesting yet. It just sounded important how Flowey wanted to keep how he knew Chara a secret. This also reminded Alice of something she had tried to look up in Toriel's book.

"Um… Flowey… I peered upon a book of Toriel's about the plants that can be found in the Underground and I couldn't find your genus… so I take it you are unique?" Alice inquired.

Flowey just shook his head and looked at Alice in a disdainful way.

"You just don't shut up do you? I'm surprised no one has killed you out of frustration at your relentless questioning. Keep yapping like that and they'll give up on you, and you'll be forced to give up on this world. Then I'll be the one left to inherit the power to control it." Flowey announced.

"Inherit the power? What do you mean by that?" Alice asked, frustration growing but trying to remain civil.

Plucking the demented weed was growing very tempting but Alice felt it would be foolish to try.

"I am the prince of this world's future. With the power of the human SOULS, I'll be a god. Don't worry, my little monarch, my plan isn't regicide. This is SO much more interesting. Seeing you, a foolish pawn, prancing around in this 'kill or be killed' hell. I look forward to seeing more from you," baring ferocious teeth, Flowey mocked Alice.

"Vulgar weed. I intend to make my own decisions and you won't get your way with me." Alice insulted Flowey in an act of defiance.

In response, Flowey did something even more startling than summon bullets. His face appeared to enlarge like a balloon, the horrific bared teeth grinning malevolently at her. He then cackled that hideous laugh once more before sinking into the earth and disappearing, vines following after him. Alice stood for a few moments and decided to ponder to herself what Flowey had revealed to her.

"So he intends to take the power of the Underground for himself… which in everyone's eyes is the human souls they gathered to break the barrier. It would indeed seem like they hold a lot of power here, but the way he referred to himself as a prince…" Alice spoke aloud to herself.

Considering there was a King Asgore as Toriel confirmed, and knowing in a traditional monarchy the prince was often the son of the king and heir to the throne… _But I highly doubt the king is some giant flower,_ Alice reasoned, _even if Flowey didn't answer if he was a unique flower or not it would've been a more prominent detail in that history book if the king was a plant._ Alice began wishing she had asked Toriel more about the King. However, remembering that Toriel didn't seem to recognize Flowey when she had saved Alice and the fact Toriel knew the king well enough to have a negative opinion of him, it confirmed that Flowey was not inheritingly a prince or the king's son. After all, Toriel would've likely said something about it. Then there was the matter of how stunned Flowey had been and how vulnerable he was when Alice revealed she knew Chara.

"Perhaps I should ask Chara next time we meet." Alice decided as thinking about it was too grim at the moment.

Besides, she had succeeded in earning her freedom and also ensuring Flowey would at the very least not hinder her anymore. She felt proud of herself and in control, no longer caged in the RUINS. A surge of excitement overcame Alice and she nodded to herself assuredly. Thinking could come later, now it was time to experience the rest of this Wonderland she had dreamed of for so long. _Hopefully I'll be able to meet more wonderful people and see more wonderful things,_ she thought. With a quickened but still dainty pace, she soon crossed the entryway…

UNDERTALE

"B-Brrr…" Alice instantly felt an intense chill and shivered.

Outside to her amazement was a completely snowy environment. A long path onward lined left and right with purest snow, a giant and almost endless forest of dead and leafless trees, and a snow-covered bush to the right of her. It seemed dark like it was dusk but yet there was still some light and radiance probably from the snow. Alice was amazed and dazzled once more but the chilled air, as well as the fact her fashions were far more fit for a sunny day at the park, made her feel very cold. She looked around desperately, trying to find something warm or even some sight of a monster or person.

"How d-desolate…" Alice murmured as she looked behind her.

The door to the RUINS was lined with a gorgeous archway but the walls of the RUINS themselves were cracked. It was a stark contrast to this very natural outside environment so Alice felt a sense of relief that she been able to leave the ruins. Then Alice remembered how someone had been listening in on her and Toriel right outside the ruins. Naturally no one was around this time but there was still that chance the mysterious man was around here. She looked carefully through the woods as she began to walk along the path. This whole scenario seemed reminiscent of a fairy tale like Little Red Riding Hood. Except it was very cold and in a completely different sort of world. Alice soon came across what appeared to be a very large and heavy branch lying on the path. There was no point in trying to pick it up and it seemed useless to bring along so she walked onward. But then… SNAP!

"...! What, w-what was that?!" Alice gasped as she heard a frightening sound.

Turning around, she looked on in horror as the giant branch she had saw was completely snapped into two pieces. Alice knew this could only mean one thing. She was being followed by someone or something and they were likely to be aggressive. Alice tried to maintain some composure as perhaps she was jumping to conclusions but still the idea of being completely watched without seeing who was watching you was utterly terrified. So Alice quickened her pace forward, trying not to look around for fear of catching the sight of something spooky. She could hear footsteps following right behind from time to time but at this point her main focus was to find something in plain sight. She came across a simple wooden bridge over a ravine with a wooden gate that appeared to be in Japanese style.

"Bridge… bridge… bridge…" Alice was mumbling the word over and over to herself to give her some comfort.

But before she could make her first step across that bridge, she heard a voice that was right behind her…

"HUMAN. Don't you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand."

The voice was unmistakable. It was that voice of the gritty man who was listening in on her and Toriel through the door. It sounded strangely more relaxing and pleasant to hear up close but this whole situation was far too extreme to take any chances. Alice, arms folded due to the cold, asked,

"A-and should I refuse?"

"Then you'll miss out on the warmth of a handshake I guess." The voice replied laxly in a way meant to help Alice ease up.

 _I could use some more warmth,_ Alice considered. Eventually she decided it was somewhat rude to decline someone's attempt to greet her and so she turned around and instinctively grabbed… a bony… hand?

"PFFFFTTTTTTHHHHHH!"

"E-Eh…?! W-what was… I-I… that most certainly…" Alice, blushing furiously after the vulgar sound, scrambled with her words.

What she felt was something similar to a balloon and it completely released all it's air as soon as Alice's hand clasped the mysterious figure's hand. The hand itself felt very hard like it was simply bones and that was when Alice first got her look at the figure… and her eyes and mouth opened wide.

"heheh… the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it's ALWAYS funny." The figure continued on nonchalantly as Alice took him all in.

It was a SKELETON. A walking living, rather on the thick side skeleton standing before her. Bony hands, bony legs, and a head that perfectly resembled a science model. His eyes appeared to have no eyeballs, leaving a black empty space but with two mysterious glowing white orbs that seemed to be his eyes. He was also dressed in clothes, quite a step up from her daydreams about only animals wearing clothes. He wore a white casual shirt underneath a very warm looking blue jacket with fur around the neck, black shorts with a white stripe on each leg, and pink slippers. Alice suddenly felt a bit in awe at this incredible monster, so different from Toriel. He was acting very friendly and goofy and even his fashion choices reflected a sense of spirit. Pink after all was a very bold color and his fashion sense was beyond anything Alice had seen in her hometown.

"W-why… you're a living skeleton!" Alice declared as she pointed at him cheerfully.

"in the flesh… or bone in this case. anyways, you're a human right? all alone with no one to accompany you?" He asked with a carefree smile.

Alice opened her mouth as she was about to instantly reply but then she realized he needed to be smart about how much information she should share to these people. He probably knew about Toriel already since he had spied on them, he knew a lot more about the rest of the Underground, this place was probably not Waterfall, and Flowey and Chara seemed too infamous to share. He also asked her if she was alone which at this point was technically true.

"Yes I am a human… and alone. I haven't seen any other humans besides myself." Alice spoke politely.

 _Chara doesn't even seem to be an ordinary human so I'm not lying,_ Alice reminded herself. Still she noticed how the Skeleton was eyeing her without changing his smile or expression once. Normally this would be expected but a few moments went by where he seemed to be carefully considering what she had said to him. But soon enough he replied,

"... well that's hilarious. i'm sans. sans the skeleton."

"Sans…? Why that actually does sound like a pretty nice name. But what do you mean by 'hilarious' exactly?" Alice inquired with an arm gesture.

'Sans' did sound like quite a fine name to her ears and sounded warm and approachable. Though the idea of her answer being 'hilarious' did strike a slight nerve.

"oh nothing about you personally. im actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now. but… y'know… i dont really care about capturing anybody." Sans explained.

Alice couldn't help herself from sighing in relief. _Take that Flowey,_ she told herself. At this point she was getting a bit competitive with proving Flowey and Chara wrong. It gave her more pride and helped her remember Toriel more.

"That's certainly good news. I'm afraid that not every monster has been pleasant company to me. It's great to hear you are more sympathetic to the humans. O-oh and I'm Alice." Alice introduced herself with a curtsy somewhat hindered by the cold.

"...alice huh? well you seem like a great pal alice. very fancy too. now my brother, papyrus… he's a human-hunting FANATIC." Sans said something that made Alice suddenly worry again.

"P-Papyrus…? You mean like the material the Egyptians used as a writing template?" Alice asked.

"...sure we could go with that." Sans replied with a wink.

Alice felt slightly flustered by such a wink coming from something like a walking and jovial skeleton. Also the reply seemed to indicate him allowing Alice to make that the reason why this Papyrus was named in such a way. Either way, Alice pressed on,

"B-but then why-?"

"-hey, actually, I think that's him over there. i have an idea. go through this gate thingy." Sans interrupted her with a very useful update.

"Oh h-he is…? B-but wouldn't it be best to hide in the trees perhaps?" Alice offered.

"only if you're foraging. besides I know a place where papyrus would never look. It's right through here. my bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone." Sans seemed insistent as he spoke.

"... Ok I trust you… but I would like to ask you something. Why were you spying on me through the door to the RUINS?" Alice felt this was a good time to ask as she passed through the gate.

Sans eyes widened and for a moment… flashed blue? He looked as though he had been caught off-guard by her statement for a moment but then he seemingly recovered.

"eh you get pretty bored watching out for humans and i happen to be fond of checking out those ruins.. today was the first time in a long time I heard something like that though… but anyways you better hurry." Sans led her to an open space past the gate.

Alice felt that was a satisfying answer and the reaction was quite interesting so she said no more. In this open space was a very quaint looking wooden stand with a snow-covered roof, a few piles of snow, and… a lamp. Alice did a double take.

"W-why is there a lamp in the middle of the woods?" Alice asked incredulously.

"and a conveniently-shaped one at that. quick, get behind it." Sans said.

Alice frowned and her face seemed to flush.

"I have more dignity than that Sans… besides you didn't answer my question!"

"... UNLESS you would like to encounter a fanatic on human-hunting anyway." Sans seemed to speak quite strictly to her with a hint of frustration.

Alice flinched and realized maybe she was overreacting. She just never thought this sort of scenario was possible.

"I apologize… I'm just quite baffled by this…" She said, hoping for forgiveness.

"its ok…" Sans said with a smile.

So Alice found herself twisting her body in the position necessary to properly hide behind the lamp. Furthermore the cold air made this stance even harder to maintain for her. _Then again,_ Alice considered, _I suppose it's better than hiding somewhere dirty._ Peering to try to get a glimpse of Papyrus, she suddenly saw a very tall skeleton bounding towards where Sans was. No doubt this was Papyrus and he was very different from Sans. He was taller and thinner with a more defined face But it was his fashion sense that was particularly… gaudy? Showy? Something of the sort at any rate. A white short-sleeved shirt with an orange cape tied around his neck, thick gloves with yellow lining, strange bottoms that resembled underwear in blue and yellow, and enormous red boots. He looked positively absurd which gave Alice a bad feeling…

"sup, bro." Sans greeted Papyrus.

"YOU KNOW WHAT "SUP," BROTHER! IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T… RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES! YOU JUST HANG AROUND YOUR STATION! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!" The response was far more animated and far more passionate than Alice had anticipated.

Compared to the rough yet charming and approachable voice of Sans, Papyrus sounded vigorous, rowdy, innocent, and quite confident. _Such a startling contrast,_ Alice concluded. The mention of puzzles also intrigued Alice who, even after the redundancy of the RUINS, could never hate puzzles and riddles altogether. If it was true then that meant there would be more of a similar caliber of games and mental challenges to overcome. Alice's eyes lit up slightly as she continued to observe the brother's conversation.

"staring at this lamp. it's really cool. do you wanna look?" However San's reply was far from what Alice had anticipated.

 _He's going to give me away!_ Alice thought as feelings of anger and being betrayed quickly rose to her mind. But as soon as she began thinking Sans of a traitorous goofball, Papyrus began stomping his feet impatiently.

"NO! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE?! I WANT TO BE READY! I WILL BE THE ONE! I MUST BE THE ONE! I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN!" He hollered.

Alice raised an eyebrow at Papyrus's arrogant statements about him being the one to capture this human. It certainly reflected the 'fanatic' Sans had described but for what she knew, he and Sans did not seem to possess any particular abilities. Toriel had shown her fire manipulation from the start but neither of them seemed to have any skills or weapons on hand for capturing a human. She knew that monsters did have magical powers from what Chara told her so she began to imagine what kind of magic they had. Raising minions from the dead? Control over spectral and dark energies? Or maybe they could enlarge and manipulate their own skeleton bones into weapons. The possibilities intrigued Alice.

"THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS… WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE! RESPECT… RECOGNITION… I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD! PEOPLE WILL ASK, TO, BE MY, 'FRIEND?' I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING." Papyrus spoke with a prideful pose.

"...Surely he has a chip on his shoulder-bone and a great vanity." Alice mumbled to herself annoyed.

She never liked the idea of braggarts who felt entitled to rewards or status when they did not condone themselves with dignity or humbleness. After all, her sister would always tell her how hard people worked for their achievements and status and that it was very rude to not give them the proper respect. From a queen to a member of the guard to a baker. it was important to be respectful of others and not use them merely as mirrors or a source of compliments. Alice was developing far less respect for Papyrus as he continued to ramble on and on about things he believed he deserved. Until she saw actual evidence of his deeds, she remained unimpressed.

"hmm… maybe this lamp will help you." Sans commented.

"Sans you are not not helping…" Alice cursed under her breath.

Clearly these two were definitely strange and absurd in their own ways. She liked Sans more at the moment but it seemed as though he was trying to give her away to Papyrus so he could capture her. But to her surprise, Papyrus mimicked her exact same words and stomped as he said so,

"SANS! YOU ARE NOT HELPING! YOU LAZYBONES! ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE! YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERYDAY!"

"hey, take it easy. i've gotten a ton of work done today. a skele-ton." Sans then seemed to turn to the left and wink after he said this obvious pun.

"Oh!" Alice gasped as she was quickly reminded of something.

Toriel's diary had been full of puns and rather on the nose jokes as well. Sans had just made a pun that would fit right in with the ones that had been in Toriel's stood out was the first pun Alice had read said 'Why did the skeleton want a friend?' Sans was indeed a skeleton as well and had displayed familiarity with the ruins. _There's no way that is just a mere coincidence,_ Alice thought. It meant that Sans and Toriel must've had come into contact once or possibly many times in the past and that may have been how Toriel got into puns. But he had told Alice earlier that her departure was the first time in a long time he had heard something of that caliber happen in the ruins… That could've meant a number of things like he hadn't been visiting for a long time or perhaps there was a routine between him and Toriel where he would come pay the ruins a visit from time to time. It all was very curious and confirmed that Sans knew Toriel. Before she could contemplate any further, Papyrus spoke again.

"SANS!"

"come on. you're smiling." Sans turned to face Papyrus with a cheeky tone.

"I AM AND I HATE IT!" Papyrus admitted.

Alice giggled a bit at this silly exchange. It seemed that Papyrus had been subjected to many a pun from Sans and had grown to accept them. Then she suddenly heard Papyrus sigh.

"WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME... HAVE TO DO SO MUCH TO GET SOME RECOGNITION…"

"Because that's how life is…" Alice muttered to herself, aggravated by the 'greats' and the cold

"wow, sounds like you're really working yourself… down to the bone." Sans turned to the left again, shrugging his shoulders with a closed-eye grin.

"UGH! I WILL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES… AS FOR YOUR WORK? PUT A LITTLE MORE, "BACKBONE" INTO IT! NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!" Papyrus cackled as he gave his final instructions to Sans.

He then proceeded to depart… 'proceeded' being the key word as he quickly turned back to say,

"HEH!"

With that, the tall skeleton bounded away from the scene. Alice felt great relief as she pulled out of the lamp before Sans had a chance to tell her and she muttered,

"T-this cold is unbearable… a-and what was that about trying to gesture him towards my hiding spot?"

"sorry kid but hey, i tried. papyrus usually doesn't listen to my implications anyway." Sans replied.

"I'm surprised he even listens to anyone at all. He's unbelievably full of himself and pompous! He claims you are lazy but from the fact he's declaring how 'great' he is you'd think he would have something to back it up. He says he wants to capture a human so shouldn't he be armed and ready? But no! There are no weapons around, no traps set up, and if he really wanted friends he has the power to go out and converse on his own. He doesn't deserve any sort of glory if he's doing it only for people to fall all over him and other such selfish motivations. I loathe foolish people like that." Alice went on a uncontrollable rant about Papyrus.

Suddenly, she felt an intense chill in the air directed towards her and when she looked… Sans pupils were nowhere to be found and he was clearly very angry at her. She was then subjected to an extremely fearsome yet stoic tone,

"... You're not in the position to judge others ALICE."

"Ah…! W-wait… I mean… I'm just…" Alice suddenly felt her knees go weak and she began to step back.

"If you're going to keep judging people like that and making criticisms, YOU will be the one who won't have any friends. Got it?"

Sans didn't move so it seemed he was only scolding Alice but the pupiless eyes and the sheer presence he had made Alice feel even more fragile than she had been when she had first encountered Flowey. It was clear that Sans had something within him to back up his powerful words and tone. Alice realized she had disrespected him by insulting his brother, even if she truly felt Papyrus had behaved arrogantly. Her pride and desire to show her intelligence and proper behavior led her to make her first mistake in the Underground. Suddenly feeling a desperate need to apologize, Alice fell to her knees and began speaking,

"I-I'm truly sorry Sans… I-I just… I've always been taught to be humble and proper and where I come from, people value honor, dignity, and good mannerisms. W-we're used to judging others from afar and correcting the said wrong behavior… b-but I suppose down here it's not like that… is it?"

Sans softened his aura and body language, closing his eyes as he considered what Alice said. When they opened, the pupils returned to his eyes in addition to his casual tone,

"nope. not one bit. i can imagine then it's a bit of a headache for you being down here where things are very different from what you're used to."

"Y-yes… I-I do want to see more of this world a-and… if I need to control my temper and be more accepting, I most definitely will do so." Alice offered.

"... you sound like you mean it. ok, i guess i overreacted too. i just really love my bro and i've felt like he's been a bit down lately. he's been trying to join the royal guard all this time and hasn't had much luck. he thinks capturing a human will do the trick… though i don't know…" Sans looked to the side, still smiling but with lowered eyes.

"Oh… there's a Royal Guard? Do-"

"-anyways kid, you better get a move on. my brother might come back and if he does... you'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes," Sans interrupted, winking at Alice.

"I wouldn't say they are hilarious but they do lighten the mood. You are a great entertainer I feel Sans." Alice complimented as she got up from her knees.

"heh, i'll take it. anyways what's the holdup? there's nothing to be scared of. it's just a dark cavern filled with skeletons and horrible monsters."

"...W-well fortunately I've devised a method to deal with the said monsters. A wise woman taught me this technique. Simply by appealing to their better nature, I can pacify any conflict and leave a battle with grace and dignity." Alice explained cheerfully.

Sans looked at Alice with an astonished expression. As though he didn't quite understand what she had just said. But then he smiled big and even sounded relieved,

"then… you should be alright kid. stay safe and also stay warm until you can get to SNOWDIN. there'll probably be a new 'skin' for you." Sans teased.

"... SNOWDIN?" Alice asked, her eyes lighting up brightly.

 _Another new place!_ Alice thought excitedly. The name also sounded very accurate with the winter atmosphere of this area she and Sans were in. But she was most curious in what the architecture, culture, faculties, and overall atmosphere of Snowdin could be. She had by now accepted this area wasn't Waterfall so this confirmed she was not yet where Napstablook lived. So naturally she asked Sans hoping for more details but Sans replied,

"you'll find it to be a real hot spot alice."

"Couldn't I have just one hint?" Alice asked as charmingly as she could.

"nah… spoils the fun."

"Well alright… so this is your sentry station I presume?" Alice asked, deciding to use this opportunity to take a closer look at the booth.

She noticed that there were bottles of ketchup, mustard, and relish sitting inside of it. _Intriguing choice of food,_ Alice decided.

"yep it sure is. i usually take naps here though since you rarely see much on this job. hey by the way, alice?" Sans asked.

"Hmm? What is it Sans?" Alice questioned as she pulled away from the booth.

"can you do me a favor? remember how i said my brother's feeling down? he's never seen a human before and seeing you might just make his day. you don't have to worry, he's not dangerous. even if he tries to be.," Sans explained, looking to the side.

Alice wasn't sure about that, knowing how Flowey seemed a charming little flower at first but turned out to be quite dangerous. While she had been thinking Papyrus was indeed just talking big, now that she felt more calm she was beginning to consider he may have some potential as well. If Sans could channel the presence of a military commander just a few moments ago, then what was the brother Papyrus capable of? Still, it seemed as though Sans was going to have her back on this and it would help give her some protection from the 'merciless killers' Flowey had described. Plus it would be extremely comforting to have some company once again and he knew Toriel well enough to influence her.

"Well… of course I will. It's the least I could do to repay you for what you've done for me thus far." Alice agreed with a curtsy.

"thanks a million. i'll be up ahead." Sans said as he began sprinting in direction of the ruins.

"Ah… Sans… isn't that the other way…?" Alice inquired but Sans had already set off.

"Hmm… perhaps he knows some sort of shortcut that's in the woods or something. Either way, I suppose it's time to carry on." Alice talked to herself as she straightened out her skirt and began her descent into the depths of the wintery woods.

"..." Sans had stopped at the same bridge where he and Alice had met moments prior.

He seemed worried and hesitant, sweat dripping. Many things were running through his mind about the young girl he had just seen, "Alice". All questions that needed answering.

"i just hope… she does that favor… right." He spoke to himself before seemingly teleporting away.

To Be Continued...


	7. Puzzles of the Great Papyrus

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 6 Puzzles of the Great Papyrus

"Oh my, there's two different paths!" Alice exclaimed as she finally stepped into the depths of the forest.

What stood out was a path leading to the left and one that continued to zig-zag forward. There was also a curious wooden chest lying next to a sign off the road. The trees also appeared to be alive and at their peak of winter beauty, revealing them to be pine trees. Alice couldn't help but feel determined at this very pristine sight as well as the memory of the strangely convenient lamp. Alice wasn't one-hundred percent sure where to begin but she decided that checking the left path at the moment would be ideal since it was closest to her. Along that path led to a rather quick dead end as the path was split off from a pure river and there appeared to be a fishing rod that had been left behind. Alice had never been one for fishing as there wasn't really any fishing spot she knew of and it seemed a bit too fussy for her liking. Still she had to wonder who it belonged to.

"I really shouldn't mess around with someone's fishing rod… though perhaps it's Sans?" Alice advised herself but her curiousity was too strong.

Reeling in the line and Alice soon found a photo of a weird-looking monster attached to the end. There was a message on the back of the photo that said ' _Call me! Here's my number!'_ Beyond the common sense of not talking to strangers, Alice also felt that this monster looked too bizarre to simply call up for a conversation. Feeling slightly disappointed, she dipped the line back in and returned to the pathway. She then proceeded to read the sign. ' _This is a box. You can put an item inside or take an item out. The same box will appear later, so don't worry about coming back. Sincerely, a box lover.'_

"... Monsters down here sure have curious hobbies. I suppose it would be fun though to use a box when playing pretend or something." Alice giggled to herself as the thought sounded like something she'd do herself.

Alice hadn't picked up much items beyond the dropped gold but she did find the Monster Candy she had picked up from the ruins when digging in her pockets. Deciding it wouldn't hurt, she took the time to eat it. It had a distinct, non-licorice flavor and actually was quite yummy. Feeling satisfied, she peered into the box to find a worn, pink leather glove like the kind boxers would use in a boxing match. Not having any desire for using her fists or engaging in combat, Alice left it be. _Well there's only one way left,_ she thought to herself and thus continued down past the box.

"SO AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE," A all too familiar voice was the first thing she heard.

Alice had not, in a million years, expected to have this sort of awkward encounter. Just moments after eluding him, Papyrus was there talking to Sans about something in the middle of the path. Alice's first instinct was a feeling of embarrassment at being spotted out like this. Then she suddenly felt fear at the idea of Papyrus being aware of her at last and what he might do. Finally she felt some relief that the more sympathetic Sans was there with him. Papyrus looked at her with a positive smile before turning to Sans. Sans, at the exact same time, turned to face Alice. Then something of a very awkward level happened. The brothers kept turning back and forth between gazing at Alice and each other. Their pace was unbelievably fast and eventually they outright turned the other way, not facing Alice or each other at all. _How are they not entirely dizzy?_ Alice pondered to herself. Finally they stopped, looking at Alice in sync before turning around to likely talk to themselves. Alice couldn't help feel baffled and slightly annoyed at their spectacle.

"SANS! OH MY GOD! IS THAT… A HUMAN!?" Papyrus exclaimed in pure, honest surprise.

Alice wasn't sure if she was supposed to answer or not and so she held her hands daintily while eyeing the two brothers nervously. They both turned to face her once more. After a few moments of silence, Sans spoke,

"uhhhh… actually, i think that's a rock."

"OH." Papyrus replied.

"W-what?! No! I am not a rock! I am Alice! A young girl! I don't even remotely resemble a rock!" Alice lost her temper at that ludicrous observation and shouted.

"well i was talking about the rock behind you, you on the other hand…" Sans pointed out looking very amused at Alice's reaction.

Alice blushed a bit and looked behind her to see that indeed there was a small, snow-covered rock on the road. _He tricked me!_ Alice thought. Papyrus's next words only made Alice feel more disgraced about her overreaction.

"OH MY GOD! (IS… IS THAT A HUMAN)"

"(yes)" Sans whispered back to Papyrus.

"OH MY GOD! SANS! I FINALLY DID IT!"

"Oh bother…" Alice couldn't keep herself from facepalming and looking at Papyrus disdainfully through her fingers.

Everything about him was simply outrageous, from the multiple ' _oh my gods_ ' to his overconfidence at having supposedly sealed the deal on having captured her. Though she did hear something interesting next,

"UNDYNE WILL… I'M GONNA… I'LL BE SO… POPULAR! POPULAR! POPULAR!"

She had been stunned at encountering them so soon that she hadn't took notice of 'Undyne' when Papyrus said it the first time. This time however, the sound of a new name made Alice very curious and remove her hands from her face to look proper.

"Undyne? Excuse my curiousity but who is Undyne?" Alice requested.

Papyrus cleared his throat as he took notice of Alice's question.

"WHY UNDYNE IS HEAD OF THE ROYAL GUARD! THE MOST POWERFUL HEROINE OF JUSTICE IN THE UNDERGROUND! SHE IS THE ONE WHO'S TRAINED ME THUS FAR AND WHO I HOPE TO IMPRESS ENOUGH TO JOIN!" He replied with a surprising sentimentality, as though he highly respected this Undyne.

"Heroine…? Oh, so she's a woman. That name does sound quite noble, like that of a goddess." Alice commented wistfully.

"heh… goddess… she's certainly got the determination of one," Sans commented cheekily, looking to the side.

Alice looked to Sans suddenly intrigued. Knowing determination meant more than one thing in the Underground, was he saying Undyne possessed that power as well? _It would be best not to upset her if I ever see her then,_ Alice concluded. Papyrus on the other hand, merely continued with a melodramatic tone,

"HUMAN! YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU! I WILL THEN CAPTURE YOU! YOU WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL! THEN… THEN! I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S NEXT. IN ANY CASE! CONTINUE… ONLY IF YOU DARE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

Papyrus proceeded to dash further down the path. Alice folded her arms and shook her head with disbelief. Sans was still there so she looked to him hoping for some clarification or more information.

"well, that went well." He said.

"Really? I felt positively insulted. I did see a glimpse of something more beyond a giant ego in your brother but he's simply so… obnoxious. But when he says 'CAPITAL', does he mean where…" Alice paused in mid-question.

She hadn't yet told anyone about the fact she knew King Asgore already as Toriel had told her. But realistically the mentioned Royal Guard was Asgore's defense force so surely it was common knowledge for these residents to know who he was. Overall, she was wondering if her knowledge of her would-be capturers was dangerous to speak about. Would it encourage the monsters to go after her more recklessly and violently or could it potentially give her some influence here? To her astonishment, Sans answered her question for her teasingly,

"where the king lives? yeah, that's the capital of the world. with a capital C"

"... I see… so… is there any other reason he wants to join the Royal Guard? Anything beyond childish desires for popularity and the like?" Alice asked, turning away and looking up.

"i don't think it's that childish. you know… he's been taught a lot already and become a better person throughout his attempts to become a member of the royal guard. i mean, have you had any desires alice? desires you'd go full force to achieve?"

"Well… I wanted a world of my own and it seems like I was tricked into believing I had it here. Now I'm down here… alone… in the future of all things. Maybe I am being too judgemental but that's giving me some comfort in a sense, knowing I'm still conducting myself in a way that people I know would've done… a-and…" Alice felt tears coming to her eyes as she finally openly spoke about her frustration at being trapped down here alone.

Any dreams she wanted or had the chance to develop were tossed aside. She was now forced into scenarios no little girl could dream of enduring. If it wasn't for how she was raised and her excitement at seeing new things, she could've broke down or lost her mind. Not to mention she was entirely displaced from her original time and had no idea what awaited her, even if she did get through the barrier. She felt like she was being forced into adulthood before she even had the chance to really indulge in her youth. All of this combined into a situation that felt too painful for Alice.

"here, I think you need this." Sans voice sounded almost uncomfortably close yet extremely caring.

When Alice turned back to face Sans, she noticed that he was offering her something. She looked at it closely and realized it was some sort of piece of clothing. It appeared to be a rather fanciful cape, edged with fur and held together with a bow. It was a color remarkably similar to Alice's dress and just seeing it made Alice's eyes widen at the sheer beauty of what was offered to her. It'd look like something she'd wear to an elegant wintertime party and it appeared utterly warm and comforting.

"I-is this really for me…? B-but… well… I haven't entirely deserved it have I…?" Alice muttered negatively.

"well kiddie it's cold outside and you look like you'll freeze to death without layers so… i just felt this would help you keep your mind off the chill and maybe feel a bit warmer inside and out. the cold never bothered me anyway but i know for a human it's a lot different than it is for monsters." Sans said smiling brightly.

 _I can't argue with that logic,_ Alice realized. The cold had been getting to her just a bit and thus maybe she had been too hard on Papyrus. After all, he did seem to have a lot of love for his brother and had great energy. I mean even her idealized dreams of Wonderland had characters with boisterous, excited, charming personalities. Papyrus deserved a chance just as much as Toriel and Napstablook did. So Alice wiped her tears away and put on the cape, feeling a lot warmer and even slightly trendier given the monsters style of dress. Her mind instantly felt a lot more clear, much like how it had been in the ruins.

"T-this is so kind of you to give me Sans. I must apologize that I haven't entirely given my best effort to know your brother but now I shall do so. Thank you." Alice curtsied gracefully to show her appreciation.

"well… no problem. you just needed to become ALL-LOOSE, ALICE." Sans made a rather questionable attempt to play on Alice's name.

"Perhaps it would've been better had you said, shall I get you a chalice Alice?" Alice suggested cheerfully.

"hehehehehe… and now it looks like I got some comedic competition. well enough dilly-dallying, you got some fun ahead of you. don't worry about it either, i got your backbone." Sans recovered with a skeleton pun and left with a wink.

Alice couldn't help but feel charmed by Sans. He seemed so approachable and personable in a way that was probably less dignified but more relaxed than Toriel. He also definitely cared about his brother which made Alice wonder if Toriel had any family. So without further ado, Alice continued into the woods, now much warmer with her cape. But it wasn't long when she stumbled upon a new creature. A strange but rather large bird with a snowflake imprint on it's face flutered forth and Alice learned it was called a Snowdrake. Alice also realized it was a teen comedian fighting to keep a captive audience.

"Ice puns are "snow" problem." It joked teasingly.

"Oh. Do you know of Sans?" Alice asked before she found herself dodging what appeared to be shards of ice.

Feeling slightly nervous now that she realized she was encountering lone and somewhat hostile monsters again, Alice did manage to avoid the attack, but only narrowly. Her question also seemed to make Snowdrake confused as it didn't seem to recognize another pun master. Alice wondered what would be the best way to appeal to this desperate, hard-working jokester and she got an idea.

"What is your "ice" age?" She asked, trying to sound a bit whimsical.

"I've heard that one." Snowdrake said bluntly.

A surge of ice shards seemed to indicate this was the incorrect choice but Alice was not going to give up.

"Can I hear another joke please?" Alice asked.

"Better not "snow" flake out!" Snowdrake claimed.

Alice couldn't keep herself from giggling quite a bit at this unbridled use of puns and it seemed to make Snowdrake quite happy.

"See!? Laughs! Dad was wrong!" Snowdrake exclaimed in a proud way and seemed to leave Alice be.

Continuing on, Alice noticed what appeared to be some kind of cardboard hut or stand with snow on the top much like with Sans. She saw there was some text on it as well and ever eager, Alice began to read. 'YOU OBSERVE THE WELL-CRAFTED SENTRY STATION. WHO COULD HAVE BUILT THIS, YOU PONDER… I BET IT WAS THAT VERY FAMOUS ROYAL GUARDSMAN! NOTE: NOT YET A VERY FAMOUS ROYAL GUARDSMAN.'

"Hmm… sounds like something Papyrus would've written." Alice concluded.

Carrying on into the next area, she noticed another sign and what appeared to be some sort of shrine with a bell, some sort of doggy figurehead, and a poster. There was definitely a Japanese element to it all which made Alice curious as to what culture these monsters had adapted. They seemed to be very diverse in their tastes which at this point was a good thing. As Alice neared the shrine though, something began to arise from within the shrine. It appeared to be a white dog wearing a black mask with eyes that darted left and right as though seeking something. Alice was startled and took a step back.

"Did something move? Was it my imagination? I can only see moving things. If something WAS moving… For example, a human… I'll make sure it NEVER moves again!" The dog declared and leapt out of the shrine.

Alice noticed the dog was dressed… very unusually. It was wearing a pink top with what appeared to be a face of a wolf or another dog on it and leopard print pants. Alice would've giggled but the two blades it was wielding put Alice very much on edge. Not to mention the cunning and intimidating tone the dog had used. She soon discovered this dog's name was Doggo and that he was easily excited by movement. _Hence why he seemed to come out I suppose,_ Alice reasoned. One of Doggo's hobbies appeared to be squirrels but Alice didn't have a squirrel so she had to listen to Doggo say,

"Don't move an inch!"

"W-what do you- oh!" Alice gasped when what appeared to be a blade of blue matter passed harmlessly over her as she stood still.

Such an unusual attack made Alice a bit worried for she never had encountered something like that. If monsters down here could utilize different types of attacks, it would make it very hard for Alice to adapt and understand what was going on. It did however ignite a passion to find out what it was.

"Excuse me Doggo, but how were you able to make that strange blue sword? Is that some sort of secret ability?" Alice asked.

"I'm telling you not to move an inch!" Doggo shouted, completely ignoring Alice's question.

As another blue blade passed harmlessly over Alice, Alice frowned and walked over to Doggo.

"Well I want to move an inch and I also want you to answer my question!" Alice scolded Doggo and put her hands on his shoulders to drive the point home.

Put as soon as she put her hands on the bare shoulders of Doggo, Doggo reacted very animatedly. It began barking with a jubilant expression, moving it's head rabidly left and right.

"WHAT! I'VE BEEN PET! PET? POT? POT? POT? PAT? PAT? PAT? POT?" He cheerfully and rapidly exclaimed.

"Oh you like that… wait that sounds improper. I mean you don't mind petting?" Alice had to correct herself from sounding indecent and realized this was so far her best method of dealing with Doggo.

So with a gentle hand, Alice began to pet Doggo gently, realizing his mask was just markings on his face much like a raccoon and that his fur was very soft.

"WHERE'S THAT COMING FROM! PET? PAT? PET? POT? PET? PET? POT? PET?" Doggo only became louder and more rambunctious with the pets.

Alice was definitely enjoying herself as this reminded her of the times she had Dinah to pet. She felt some relief that Dinah wasn't here as Doggo would've likely upset her beloved cat. Still, she missed Dinah more than ever and really had wished the cat had come with her. As she continued to pet Doggo, he went on another tangent,

"THERE'S NO END TO IT! PET? POT? PAT? PAT? PET? PET? WELL, THIS IS THOROUGH! POT? PET? PAT? PAT? POT? POT? POT? POT?"

"D-don't say it like that… it makes me sound like an indecent person." Alice complained feeling slightly flushed as she had only been petting the same spot and nowhere else.

Fortunately though, it appeared that this was enough to pacify Doggo as he soon said in his original tone,

"OK. That's enough. S-S-S-Something pet me… Something that isn't m-m-moving… I'm gonna need some dog treats for this!"

Doggo then reentered his shrine and with a somewhat meek expression, slid down, and disappeared from sight. Of course should Alice have looked inside she probably would've found him again but she had no reason to. For fun though she did ring the bell twice as she was rather fond of chiming instruments. Doggo popped up again but didn't seem to see her.

"Hello? Is anybody there…? No?" He asked before sliding down again.

"I suppose Sans would be better suited to answering my question about the blue attacks then." Alice decided.

While that had been interesting, Alice knew she simply had to move on. Passing by a pile of what appeared to be dog treats used to smoke, which disgusted Alice, she found herself in the next area and encountered…

"Oh Sans! Hello again." Alice greeted him cheerfully.

"hey, here's something important to remember. my brother has a very special attack. if you see a blue attack, don't move and it won't hurt you." Sans basically answered the question that Doggo hadn't been able to answer.

"W-were you spying on us... ? H-how did you know I was intending to ask you that?" Alice asked astonished.

"a skeleton's intuition. do you think you can remember on your own or do you need a TIPia to help you?" Sans joked once more.

"Well blue is a very prominent color. I should know most of all as I am currently wearing it so I think I know to stop moving if something blue approaches." Alice insisted.

"good on you. don't even need to remind you. good luck." Sans finished the conversation.

Alice was still slightly curious how Sans knew exactly when to answer Alice's question but at this point paranoia seemed to be crippling and there was still more to see so she let it go. As she crossed by a layer of ice upon the snow, she took the top path to find…

"Ooh! A snowman!" Alice clasped her hands happily as she saw it.

She had always delighted in building snowmen on many a cold English winter and seeing one in person was very encouraging. She walked over to it to get a closer look at the craftsmanship when to her surprise it spoke to her,

"Hello. I am a snowman."

"...! That's very nice of you to introduce yourself to me. My name is Alice." Alice curtsied as she spoke slightly startled.

 _Even the snow here is sentient,_ Alice thought, _definitely a mysterious world._

"Nice to meet you too Alice. As a snowman I cannot move. It has always been a dream of mine still to see the world…" The snowman said sadly.

"Well that's actually one of my dreams too. You see, I've fallen into this world and am hoping to see all the curious possibilities that lie here." Alice spoke sympathetically.

"It's always a prized feeling when you know you have seen all there is to see and there's so much fun in that journey as well. You seem to understand me so can you be so kind as to please, from the bottom of my heart… take a piece of me and bring it very far away," Snowman offered, clearly touched by Alice's words.

"W-won't that piece of you melt though…? I would hate to harm you by accident…"

"Don't worry, I'm cold enough to last through even the longest heatwave. Plus my will to see the world is stronger so it wouldn't hinder you at all." Snowman reassured a nervous Alice.

"If you put it like that it would be senseless to deny your honest request so of course." Alice agreed.

"Thank you… good luck!" Snowman advised.

Alice nervously took some snow from the Snowman and placed it into her apron pocket. It was very, VERY cold but the kindness of the Snowman and his dream made it worth carrying. Alice then returned to the ice blanket and took note of a sign she had missed. It read 'North: Ice South: Ice West: Ice East: Snowdin Town… and ice."

"These must be directions… not very specific on three of the directions though." Alice critiqued though was pleased to know what led path led to Snowdin town.

So she appropriately went down the Eastern path to find…

"YOU'RE SO LAZY! YOU WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!"

"i think that's called… sleeping."

"... Wasn't Sans just at the last… well then again I did go down another path before heading here so…" Alice pondered to herself about San's quick movements.

Sans and Papyrus seemed to be quarreling like typical sibling again beyond what appeared to be exposed ground in the snow. Something was telling Alice that this encounter would be the first of the aforementioned puzzles both brothers had brought up. Alice did say she would be more forgiving of Papyrus so this would be his first chance to impress her.

"EXCUSES, EXCUSES! OH-HO! THE HUMAN ARRIVES!" Papyrus cried out upon seeing Alice.

"Alice… Alice is my name" Alice insisted not wanting to be referred to be something like 'human.'

"ALICE YOU SAY? VERY WELL. IN ORDER TO STOP THE ALICE… MY BROTHER AND I HAVE CREATED SOME PUZZLES! I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS ONE… QUITE SHOCKING!" Papyrus pointed out.

"Shocking…? So it has something to do with electricity I presume?" Alice inquired.

"EXACTLY. FOR YOU SEE, THIS IS THE INVISIBLE.. ELECTRICITY MAZE! WHEN YOU TOUCH THE WALLS OF THIS MAZE, THIS ORB WILL ADMINISTER A HEARTY ZAP!" Papyrus pulled out what appeared to be a crystal ball as he explained this puzzle.

"W-what… that's not a riddle, it's a method of torture!" Alice exclaimed in a bit of a panic.

"who said anything about riddles?" Sans asked, winking at Alice.

"... Touche" Alice grumbled with a more aloof expression.

Naturally by 'puzzles' Alice would assume games of intellect or strategy while this was merely a game of chance and hoping they would not trigger a zap. Of course monsters would probably have different meanings for 'puzzles' altogether. So Alice felt a bit embarrassed that she had jumped to conclusions and gotten stupefied.

"NYEH HEH HEH! AND THE AMOUNT OF FUN YOU WILL HAVE ON THIS PUZZLE IS ACTUALLY RATHER SMALL! OK, YOU CAN GO AHEAD NOW… IF YOU DARE." Papyrus laughed triumphantly.

"Well I suppose I don't have any other choice to make." Alice admitted defeat and stepped forward.

However at that point she heard a violent electrical crackle and when she looked, Papyrus was being zapped by electricity in a comedic pose. Alice instantly understood that Papyrus's puzzle had to have backfired on him which made her chuckle a bit. After the zapping concluded, Papyrus simply stood still with a bewildered expression and charred tone to his bones. He then proceeded to begin stomping angrily, most likely because of this unexpected backfire.

"SANS! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Papyrus demanded furiously.

"i think the human has to hold the orb." Sans casually clarified.

"OH, OK," Papyrus replied, almost instantly recovering from his temper.

Taking the orb, Papyrus began to approach Alice in a very complex and over exaggerated set of steps and that's when Alice noticed distinct black footsteps that began to appear behind Papyrus. _That means he's taking the correct trail to get past this maze,_ Alice realized. She seemed genuinely surprised at how easily Papyrus exposed the answer to his own puzzle and seemed oblivious to this. Naturally clever, Alice said nothing and took the rather metallic orb from Papyrus when he handed it to her. Papyrus even headed back the same way he had came to her.

"OKAY, TRY NOW!" Papyrus directed.

Alice, holding the orb, proceeded to do just that. Simple small steps at a modest pace, precisely following the series of footprints. In no time at all she had successfully made it to the other side and completed the puzzle. She decided to boast a bit,

"That actually was indeed rather fun. I would've expected a tad bit more from the Great Papyrus nonetheless."

"INCREDIBLE! YOU SLIPPERY SNAIL! YOU SOLVED IT SO EASILY… TOO EASILY. AND THAT WAS JUST THE FIRST OF MANY FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! THE NEXT ONE WILL GET YOU BECAUSE IT WAS DESIGNED BY MY BROTHER SANS! PREPARE TO BE CONFOUNDED ALICE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus retaliated with expected bravado.

He then made to walk backwards into the next area leaving Alice and Sans alone. Alice turned to Sans but Sans spoke first,

"hey, thanks… my brother seems like he's having fun."

"I can't imagine how seeing he so easily gave away the answer to his own riddle…" Alice said.

"yeah, but he's got a big heart so i think he's just trying to make it solvable. after all you are the first human he's seen so he's probably just getting to know you ."

"... Sans, may I ask you something. You say I'm the first human HE's seen, haven't there been other humans down here before?" Alice inquired curiously.

She wasn't sure why she had asked that seeing how Chara confirmed the presence of at least six humans before Alice. Perhaps it was to get more of a point of view from the residents of the underground and not to mention Sans did seem to have a lot of power behind him. Sans looked at Alice with a raised eyebrow.

"well… at least… there's been stories about other humans being down here before. they are what's needed to break the barrier after all. papyrus wasn't around that time to really test them. he was still dreaming of being a royal guard at that point and had no training so you are the first human he's gotten to interact with." He answered hesitantly.

"... So there really has been a lot going on down here for centuries it appears. Another thing I want to ask is why are the monsters so sure that SOULS are what will be needed to break the barrier? Couldn't there be some other way?" Alice asked.

Sans looked a bit pained, as though he had no idea how to answer that.

"i'm not the best person to ask that alice… not even close… but i do know that there really isn't any other way. that's why the monsters down here work themselves to the bone to get out of here." Sans offered a weak pun.

"Well… perhaps… I could try to find a way to break the barrier myself? I certainly won't buy there being only ONE solution that soon. I'm sure there's evidence to prove there's another solution that may work without needing to kill any humans." Alice spoke after being filled with a sudden compassion.

After all, if she wanted to get home, the barrier would have to be out of the way. So Alice felt that the best way to do this was to take down the barrier altogether and that way both she and the monsters could return home. Perhaps it had been the passion of Papyrus that had drove her to ask Sans these questions and Sans' vulnerability that made her sympathize and desire to help him. A better part of Alice was telling herself she was getting a bit carried away but Alice felt that she had the potential to do such. Toriel had said she was taught well and more intellectual than the other humans who had came down here after all. She also felt it would be another way to prove Chara and Flowey wrong and it'd help the monsters understand she meant no harm. Sans replied,

"kid… empty promises break hearts more than anything else down here."

What startled Alice was that Sans tone sounded completely in denial as though he was insulted she had even suggested that. But his eyes were full of hope and there was a strange blueish glow on the right pupil. Alice felt mystified as he was presenting himself in a contradictory fashion but it also made her feel good that someone was supporting her. After all, no one should have to be lost in order to make progress. Still, Alice decided that was enough serious talk and questioning for now and straightened her posture.

"E-er… yes… and I do suppose I don't entirely understand everything about this world yet but it would be something I'd try my hardest to achieve. Anyways, so your puzzle is next?" Alice asked.

Sans glow seemed to fade and he looked relieved. It was clear he didn't like getting serious too much of the time… or was it that he was scared of getting serious…?

"yep, prepared it tooth and nail. by the way, did you see that weird outfit he's wearing? we made that a few weeks ago for a costume party. he hasn't worn anything else since… keeps calling it his "battle body." man. isn't my brother cool?" Sans asked after going on a nostalgic explanation.

"I am beginning to warm up to him. Come to think of it, was costume did you wear to the party?" Alice asked.

"i was a comic."

"A comic Sans? Oh right, well you do perform jokes and puns all the time so I see that would be an accurate costume for you. Anyways, I better move along. Thank you for the conversation." Alice curtsied and departed after completely missing the joke.

"... oh yeah she's from the past huh? before they even came up with fonts…" Sans mumbled to himself as he watched Alice leave.

Alice found herself approaching what appeared to be small cliffs of a mountainous nature with another brown bridge to connect them. There was also something else that stood out very clearly. A sort of food cart with a yellow and red striped umbrella and a very unusual man leaning next to it barefoot. He was wearing a shirt and pants that matched the umbrella in colors and he looked glum. He himself had a red nose and appeared to be furry but there was no telling what kind of creature he was. Alice took note that he was offering food though and she knew the candy from earlier wouldn't keep her full for long so she approached him.

"Excuse me sir but-"

"I don't understand why these aren't selling… It's the perfect weather for something cold…" The monster seemed to be talking to himself and sounded very young and almost like a young teenager.

"Cold…?" Alice asked a bit confused.

"OH! A CUSTOMER! Hello! Would you like some Nice Cream? It's the frozen treat that warms your heart! Now just 15 G." The monster lit up in excitement upon seeing Alice and offered his products.

"Nice Cream? Oh… you mean ice cream! W-well… that really is a bit redundant to eat something cold in this snowy area but I could use it to hold onto so sure." Alice accepted.

"Here you go! Have a super-duper day!" The monster then proceeded to take out a perfectly wrapped bar of this Nice Cream from his cart and handed it to Alice.

"Thank you…" Alice curtsied politely as she took the bar and put in her apron.

 _It certainly should stay frozen for quite some time,_ Alice thought. As she crossed the bridge she soon took note of a snowball. Wondering if this had to do with a puzzle or something important, Alice took it and began to push it along. Moving left and downward and pushing it with as much control as she could, she soon spotted a big hole in the ground and pushed the snowball inside. A small yellow flag suddenly sprouted up from within the whole as she did so. There was an inscription on the flag so Alice began to read it. "YELLOW- Your sure-fire accuracy put an end to the mayhem of "Ball." She reached into the hole to find 3 G and gleefully she added them to her stash. Alice headed back as she did get a bit sidetracked and was astonished to find Sans already there once again. Was he just moving along while Alice was off doing something else or could he really teleport? _Very curious,_ Alice thought as she desired to know the answer eventually.

"i've been thinking about selling treats too. want some fried snow? it's just 5G." Sans offered as he saw her.

"Err… no thank you. I don't think snow has any real nutritional value" Alice declined politely.

"well i didn't have any to begin with so… yeah. i was actually going to try to get you to pay 500 G for it too." Sans admitted cheekily.

"Oh Sans, it is ideal to always conserve money for when it matters most." Alice clarified confidently as she walked past him.

Unfortunately for Alice it turned out to be the wrong path so she began to wonder if Sans intentionally misled her as a joke. There were two stands much like the one she had encountered Doggo at with a sign in between them. 'Hers' and 'His' was what they said.

"Perhaps this is a couple or a brother and sister who are aligned with Doggo? Good thing they don't appear to be here." Alice spoke to herself as she peered at the sign.

The sign described different smell danger ratings that were rather absurd to Alice as the colors didn't even match with 'GREEN' being written in red. So heading back, past a grinning Sans, she returned to where she had put the snowball in the hole and moved forward. There was Sans and Papyrus once again standing rather far from her with a single sheet of paper in between them. Alice rolled her eyes lovingly upon seeing Sans so quickly next to Papyrus once more. _He definitely teleports,_ she concluded.

"ALICE! I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR… SANS! WHERE'S THE PUZZLE!" Papyrus asked apparently not sure of what the puzzle was himself.

"it's right there. on the ground. trust me. there's no way they can get past this one." Sans directed Papyrus.

With that Alice walked over and looked at the so-called puzzle. It was a 'Monsters Kidz Word Search'. A strange ice cube with a dog face called Ice-E was asking the reader to solve this puzzle. It looked very childish but Alice did often partake in crossword puzzles when she could so she was genuinely excited. Among the words that stood out was a nonsensical word called 'giasfclfebrehber'. But Alice realized she didn't have a writing utensil of the sort on her.

"Um... does either one of you have a pen to write with?" Alice asked.

"there's one at snowdin. you can do it there." Sans answered much to Papyrus's immediate stupefication.

"Ah, thank you." Alice said gratefully as she folded the puzzle and put it in her apron pocket.

As she walked over to them, Papyrus lashed out,

"SANS! THAT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

"whoops. i knew i should've used today's crossword instead." Sans admitted without a trace of guilt.

Alice couldn't hold back her laughter at the silly antics of Sans. She giggled and chuckled as Papyrus seemed more shocked than frustrated.

"WHAT!? CROSSWORD!? I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT! IN MY OPINION… JUNIOR JUMBLE IS EASILY THE HARDEST." Papyrus said snootily.

"what? really, dude? that easy-peasy word scramble? that's for baby bones."

"Ahahahahahahaha…!" Alice was at this point cackling with laughter at their sibling quarrel and San's jokes.

"UN. BELIEVABLE. HUMAN! SOLVE THIS DISPUTE!" Papyrus pointed at Alice dramatically as he made this demand.

"Ehehe… well if I had to absolutely pick one… I find Jumble to be less intuitive and harder to get into than Crosswords." Alice answered after calming down.

"HA! HA! YES! HUMANS MUST BE VERY INTELLIGENT! IF THEY ALSO FIND JUNIOR JUMBLE SO DIFFICULT! NYEH! HEH! HEH HEH!" Papyrus seemed very happy that Alice had agreed with him and then left.

"thanks for saying "junior jumble" just to appease my brother. yesterday he got stumped trying to "solve" the horoscope." Sans confessed to Alice.

"He certainly makes me laugh a lot. You and him must be a famous pair in the underground." Alice said with a very natural smile.

"well let's just say we showed up one day and have been doing our own thing ever since. it's also really great to see you getting to know papyrus better. i told you he was cool."

"Yeah… he really is the Great Papyrus… and I really am having fun." And Alice meant it.

To Be Continued...


	8. Are We Out of the Woods Yet?

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 7 Are We Out of the Woods Yet?

"when was the last time you had this level of fun if I may ask?" Sans seemed eager to continue talking to Alice about this positive topic.

"Well specifically when I was sitting on the riverbank with my dear cat Dinah and we were discussing a world of my own." Alice recounted.

Alice felt somewhat of a welcome relief at telling Sans about her fondest memories above the Underground. As though she had been bottling them up all this time and felt passively saddened by those thoughts. Now being able to share them felt really heart-warming to her and gave her more courage than ever before. Sans seemed to like her answer as he chucked and said,

"a world of your own huh? sounds like a simple idea but there can be so much more to it. what was in this world of your 'bone'?"

"W-well… in my daydreams I had always envisioned creatures that were like ordinary creatures but had special powers. Like the ability to converse and dress themselves and form opinions. I also dreamed of beautiful places and activities that were one of a kind. I have to say though that this world isn't quite the same as mine but I am very much enjoying it." Alice replied with a graceful arm position.

"yeah… probably a tourist's delight for those who are not from around here. the sad news is that this is technically a prison for most of the monsters down here. some adapted well and all i really need is papyrus to be happy anywhere but not everyone is so fandabbydozy. still just be yourself and don't lose your mind-games." Sans teased with another pun.

"Ehehe… I shan't lose my reason or any games down here. Some people do say the best people in the world are mad but I'd rather stay the way I am."

Truthfully the people who said that often were the people in Alice's head but there was always something genuine about mad people. Honest, to the point, often jovial or alive and making the most out of their lives. Sans definitely did seem like that kind of person and Papyrus too. So she was feeling relaxed, comfortable, and safe around them. Still she had a feeling she was beginning to dilly-dally and she knew she had to get to Snowdin for warmth and comfort. So Alice curtsied politely and stated,

"Um I feel I should probably carry onward though. Papyrus probably has more puzzles in store. Thank you once more for the conversation Sans. You are very lovely to talk to."

"u-uh… y-you don't really need to shower me with so many compliments. i didn't bring my umbrella after all. but anyways go break a leg." Sans had a strange blue blush on his face as opposed to a human's red blush as he replied jokingly.

With a feeling of gratitude and some youthful joy, Alice moved onto the next area. She was quite surprised to find a table with a plate of spaghetti doused in tomato sauce on it as well as a fork. On another table that was more round than the other lied a strange box with a handle, buttons, and a small screen. It appeared to be some kind of cooking device but Alice was unfamiliar with it much like some of the things she found in Toriel's kitchen. Among other noteworthy things was another mousehole along the hilly walls of the forest and a note lying on the ground. Seeking the note first, Alice began to read. 'HUMAN! PLEASE ENJOY THIS SPAGHETTI. LITTLE DO YOU KNOW, THIS SPAGHETTI IS A TRAP… DESIGNED TO ENTICE YOU! YOU'LL BE SO BUSY EATING IT… THAT YOU WON'T REALIZE THAT YOU AREN'T PROGRESSING! THOROUGHLY DUPED AGAIN BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEH-HEH-HEH, PAPYRUS.'

"Never before have I met an individual who gave away all the answers to his puzzles before the participant. He truly has a rare gift." Alice couldn't help but make fun of Papyrus a bit to herself.

It was amusing and kind of endearing of him to essentially take it easy on her with these puzzles and allow it to be easily solvable and passable. Sans had helped a lot in the last puzzle but it appeared that Papyrus was even trying to explain to her his supposed cleverness of distracting her with frozen spaghetti. As good as it looked, it seemed far too cold and had been out for far too long to be worth trying. The mysterious box appeared to have a plug to connect it to something but Alice wasn't very keen on what. She peered into the mouse hole and heard the cries of a small mouse much like the ones in the ruins. Alice felt quite determined when she realized the mouse would not stop until they had found a way to heat up the spaghetti. With this encouraging thought in mind, Alice kept going. In a rather large open space with trees and snow, she found another sign. It said, 'Warning: Dog Marriage."

"Dog marriage? Wonder if those are as much fun as human marriages." Alice thought aloud.

As she began walking along though, she soon encountered what was revealed to be Lesser Dog. It appeared as a white dog, standing on it's hind legs, dressed in a very stoic suit of armor with a stone dogger made of pomer-granite. It appeared to be quite harmless and was rather happy based on the expression on its face. It was even panting softly. Alice remembered Doggo and how she had pet him into submission so she wondered if the same tactics would work again.

"Don't worry dog. I don't intend to do anything harmful." Alice cooed as she began to pet the dog.

To her surprise though, once she laid her hand on the dog, it's height seemed to slightly increase from the neck up. It essentially grew taller as it began to pant even more. Alice's curiousity proceeded to ignite from there and she began to pet the dog even more consistently. Sure enough, with each pet, the neck of Lesser Dog extended more and more. Soon it was at the height of Papyrus with Alice having to jump up to pet it. Lesser Dog's excitement knew no bounds and Alice continued to get critical pets on it that thoroughly increased it. All throughout this petting session, the overstimulated Lesser Dog barked and panted.

"My goodness. I always imagined mushrooms that made you grow taller if you ate them from a certain angle but I never anticipated such growth like this." Alice exclaimed as she realized there was no way to stop this madness.

It soon began to reach the height of a totem made by an indigenous tribe and Lesser Dog could not hear Alice's cries for it's attention. Interestingly enough with further pets, Lesser Dog's head turned around and seemed to now lower to the ground with the overall length of it's neck still exceedingly high. The faraway barks of Lesser Dog soon became much easier to hear and Alice could once more pet it. Eventually though, Alice began to grow a bit tired of the constant petting and so she decided enough was enough. After all she was starting to worry she had a petting problem.

"Well your fur was very soft and I enjoyed petting you but I believe it is time that we cease this encounter." Alice spoke as composedly as she could.

Once she said this, Lesser Dog's head suddenly rapidly began to shift upward and then shrink down at a furious pace. Then it's neck literally snapped back to it's regular size and Lesser Dog's original form was present again. Alice laughed nervously to herself and then continued to make strides around the area. She found a mound of snow when she went left and a wall of spikes that blocked off an entryway to the right. _Perhaps I need to dig through the snow for the switch,_ Alice thought. Digging through snow with bare hands was indeed very cold but Alice felt alright. She detected a red 'X' in the snow as though marking something, but there was no switch to be found.

"Hmm.. perhaps there was something in the other path?" Alice asked herself as she decided to retrace her steps.

As she returned to when she first initially entered the area, she went forward this time. She found a small patch of ground and began to reason that the 'X' was referring to a specific spot on the ground. When she searched that designated area, she found a simple switch that was hidden in the snow and triggered it. _That should do it,_ Alice reasoned proudly. Sure enough, when she returned to where the wall of spikes was, the spikes had sunk into the ground and opened up the way. Alice clapped happily to herself for solving the puzzle and began to continue onward. However as she crossed the bridge and was about to follow a new path, she noticed something quite startling coming towards her. Two hooded figures dressed in black with notable white dog faces and paws peeking out from their outfits. They were also carrying two battleaxes as they marched towards Alice.

"What's that smell?" Said a distinctly rough, male voice.

"(Where's that smell?)" Said a more feminine yet still determined voice.

"Smell…? D-do you mean me perhaps?" Alice asked as she felt awkward at being described as a 'smell'.

She then noticed the two shrouded dogs doing a strange rondo around Alice, moving as though they were dancing to jazz music. When they stopped, they surrounded Alice on her left and right sides. Alice felt quite uncomfortable and nervous as she figured out these two were probably aligned with Lesser Dog and Doggo. _Which means they must be after me as well,_ she thought worriedly.

"Thanks for letting us know where you were smell. You smell weird enough to eliminate…" The male voice spoke ridiculous words but in a horrifying tone.

"(...Eliminate YOU!)" Cried out the female voice as both her and her partner took their battleaxes in a warrior's stance.

"Ahhhhhh!" Alice screamed in fright as she simply had nothing at the moment to counteract battleaxes.

The duo was revealed to be Dogi and consisted of Dogamy who was the male and Dogaressa who was the female. They appeared to be a married couple and were most likely the ones who resided at the side-by-side posts Alice had saw earlier. They also only knew what they smelled and that Dogaressa found her hubby lovely. Alice found it very sweet that they appeared to love one another so much but of course their intentions at the moment made it impossible to compliment them just yet.

"Don't touch my hot dog." Dogamy warned.

"(He means me.)" Dogaressa explained.

"I-I would never- ahhhhhhhh!" Alice screamed as she found herself dodging two axe swings respectively.

"Let's kick human tail!"

"(Do humans have tails?)" They spoke in unison which only made their love more endearing to Alice.

"No… humans certainly don't have tails… although…" Alice began to think reasonably about this.

 _It seems they are reliant on smelling their targets so perhaps if I disguise my scent I can convince them I'm not a human?_ As the two dogs were practicing for the next couples contest, Alice decided that her best option for now was to roll around in the dirt and snow so that they wouldn't detect her scent. Being naturally a very clean person, Alice cringed a bit before she threw herself on the ground and rolled around childishly. She felt bad about dirtying the cape that Sans had so kindly given to her but she was scared of being chopped up by those axes more. The dogs however still aimed their axes at her, causing Alice to roll evasively.

"No. 2 Nuzzle Champs '98'!"

"(Of course we were second.)" The dogs reminisced as they attempted to slice Alice.

"There are contests for nuzzling? Huh. There certainly does seem to be a lot of curious events and traditions down here." Alice asked herself curiousy.

Then to her amazement, Dogamy and Dogaressa approached Alice and sniffed her again. They looked to one another in bewilderment as it seemed something was different from what they originally had assumed.

"What! Smells like a…"

"(Are you actually a little puppy!?)" He and she exclaimed respectively.

"Arf… Arf…!" To complete the illusion, Alice actually barked like a dog and pet both Dogamy and Dogaressa to seem affectionate.

It felt very silly to do this but it seemed to be working as both dogs seemed very impressed. It was clear what Alice was doing was something they really enjoyed and also seemed unfamiliar with.

"Wow! Pet by another pup!"

"(A dog that pets dogs… Amazing!)" They each exclaimed as they were in awe of the idea.

"Yes, it seems like most dogs around here do enjoy petting so petting one another would be a wonderful expression of love." Alice claimed to get them further on her side.

And with that, the axe swinging ceased and both dogs cheerfully hugged Alice

"Dogs can pet other dogs?"

"(A new world has opened up for us…)" They spoke cheerfully before kissing one another lovingly.

"Thanks, weird puppy!" Dogamy said before he kissed Dogaressa lovingly.

"Well you are very welcome… although I'm not really that weird…" Alice curtsied politely though did sound slightly skeptical in her verbal response.

Dogaressa smiled and she and the love of her life went off down the path. Alice sighed a breath of relief. So far these dogs were fairly formidable opponents and could've easily finished Alice off had she not known Toriel's advice. She was starting to wonder about her DETERMINATION though as she had not seen the rabbit or felt that rush of power flowing like it had done in the ruins. She hadn't needed it direly right now but it would be reassuring to learn how to channel it for any unexpected and dangerous encounter. Either way, she had succeeded as a pacifist and even as a love counselor of sorts and this gave her the confidence to go down the new path. She still cringed a bit about how dirty she had gotten and so she tried to clean herself the best she could. As she did, she soon came across another puzzle from Papyrus. There was a switch like the ones from the ruins, a sign, several mounds of snow, and a mark on the left and on the right that were of two blue 'X's. It was very interesting to Alice and didn't look as dreadfully easy as the previous ones so she read the sign.

"Turn every X into a O. Then press the switch. Hmm… well that still sounds a bit easy but I suppose as long as it's not handed to me." Alice commented to herself.

She was feeling a bit competitive and ready to tackle one of these puzzles herself and not have it explained or answered instantly. So she stepped on the right blue X and to her amazement it quickly turned into a O. Alice frowned as that also seemed far too easy for a solution if it turned into the right mark as soon as she triggered it. It was at that moment a piercing screech, or at least very loud and enthusiastic cry, hit Alice's eardrums.

"WHAT!? HOW DID YOU AVOID MY TRAP? AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY… IS THERE ANY LEFT FOR ME?"

Alice gasped and when she looked over, she saw Papyrus on the other side of a line of spikes, his hands clasped giddily like a kid at a birthday party. _He must be talking about the spaghetti from earlier,_ Alice realized. Alice wasn't sure how fragile Papyrus's spirit was when it came to spaghetti and she didn't feel like lying was a wise move this early on in the journey. After all, Alice had been genuinely quite interested in trying it but it had been cold to the point it was inedible. So Alice decided to be honest with the skeleton.

"I'm very sorry Papyrus but it had already been much too cold to eat… but I do wish to try it maybe freshly cooked at your home." Alice offered sweetly.

"AH… NO… I LEFT THE MICROWAVE UNPLUGGED DIDN'T I? WOE IS ME… BUT YES YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ALICE. YOU'LL GET TO TRY MY COOKING SOMEDAY SOON AND BE PROMPTLY AMAZED BY MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS I WILL MAKE YOU ALL THE PASTA YOU COULD EVER WANT! HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH NYEH!" Papyrus replied after giving himself some confidence through Alice's offer.

"So you're now a master chef as well? I thought you wanted to be a member of the royal guard?" Alice asked.

"WELL UNDYNE HAS BEEN TEACHING ME HOW TO COOK. SHE SAYS IT'S ALL PART OF THE TRAINING PROCESS! IT'LL ALL BE WORTH IT IN THE END…" Papyrus then seemed to pause as he appeared to have a reflective expression.

Before Alice could ask anymore, he departed, leaving Alice to complete the puzzle. Alice went to the left 'X' and sure enough it turned into another 'O'.

"There's simply no challenge!" Alice groaned and folded her arms in disappointment.

Suddenly her negative opinion of Papyrus babying her and giving her puzzles that even a baby could solve began to arise again. He seemed rather clueless when it came to a truly good puzzle or at least was making so many beginner's mistakes that the fun had been sucked out of it. _That's no way for any member of a royal guard to behave,_ Alice believed firmly. As she thought deeply about this, she activated the switch which indeed lowered the spikes down into the snow again and allowed her to carry onward. Interestingly enough, Papyrus was standing there near the entrance. Alice spoke to him a bit flatly,

"I solved the puzzle Papyrus… it only took my first try…"

"WONDERFUL JOB! OH AND BY THE WAY! MY BROTHER STARTED A SOCK COLLECTION RECENTLY. HOW SADDENING… SOMETIMES I WONDER WHAT HE WOULD DO… WITHOUT SUCH A COOL GUY TAKING CARE OF HIM? NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus replied.

 _Perhaps have more difficult puzzles,_ Alice grumbled to herself. Though she did find the idea of Sans, who wore slippers with no socks, starting a sock collection being very unusual. It also appeared as though Papyrus often did think about San's well-being which was a brotherly and kind-hearted thing to do. Alice in the end concluded Papyrus was difficult to read and if he was someone who was still interested in capturing her to become a member of the Royal Guard, it would be at most a bit hard to face him. After all, he had a brother to look out for and take care of. Alice decided to keep on going. As she did so, she found another puzzle and to her amazement, it looked VERY difficult. There were X's everywhere along the ground with the respective mounds of snow and another switch. As she analyzed the puzzle, Papyrus came bounding over.

"ALICE! HMMM… HOW DO I SAY THIS… YOU WERE TAKING A LONG TIME TO ARRIVE, SO… I DECIDED TO IMPROVE THIS PUZZLE… BY ARRANGING THE SNOW TO LOOK MORE LIKE MY FACE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE SNOW FROZE TO THE GROUND. NOW THE SOLUTION IS DIFFERENT! AND, AS USUAL, MY LAZY BROTHER IS NOWHERE AROUND. I SUPPOSE WHAT I AM SAYING IS… WORRY NOT, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL SOLVE THIS CONUNDRUM! THEN WE CAN BOTH PROCEED! MEANWHILE, FEEL FREE TO TRY THE PUZZLE YOURSELF! I'LL TRY NOT TO GIVE AWAY THE ANSWER!" Papyrus explained the situation with dramatic flair.

"Well I must acknowledge you certainly have indeed made this puzzle much more challenging than the others," Alice stated, clearly impressed.

Finally presented with a challenge worthy of a curious girl, Alice began to tackle the puzzle. Alice found that the mounds of snow did block certain movements and that going over them twice would revert them back to an X from an O. She bit her lip as she focused intently on trying not to make too many mistakes and solve the puzzle without any sort of aid. Some paths that she thought would be correct didn't work out but she did have some freedom to maneuver around and could use the switch to reset them all to X's. After several attempts of trial and error, Alice believed she had found the correct path. Papyrus, who was watching every movement, looked excited as Alice gracefully stepped along the X's. A trail of O's followed in her footsteps and when the little girl's ballet ended, every X had been successfully turned into a O. Alice activated the switch and cheered for herself,

"Wonderful!"

"WOW! YOU SOLVED IT! AND YOU DID IT ALL WITHOUT MY HELP…" Papyrus said slightly disappointed that Alice hadn't asked him for hints.

"Oh but you did thoroughly explain the inspiration behind the puzzle and that was very useful to me." Alice remarked to cheer him up.

"AWW… YOU ARE TOO KIND ALICE. YOU REALLY DO CARE ABOUT PUZZLES LIKE I DO! WELL, I'M SURE YOU'LL LOVE THE NEXT PUZZLE THEN!" Papyrus grinned.

"Oh my… exactly how many puzzles are left? I'm starting to get a bit antsy…" Alice inquired.

Tired from this more challenging puzzle, and curious to see SNOWDIN, Alice was definitely feeling ready to be done with the puzzles for today. Papyrus though 'tsked' Alice and wagged his fingers.

"THAT'S MY SKELETON IN THE CLOSET! YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO SEE FOR YOURSELF! NYEH! HEH HEH! HEHEHEH!" Papyrus cackled, clearly a trademarked laugh at this point, and rushed towards the newly accessible path.

"... Oh dear." Alice sighed exhausted.

She was soon brightened up however by the appearance of Sans standing by the pathway. Still her favorite of the two brothers for his balance of charm and wisdom, Alice greeted him,

` "How do you do now Sans?"

"this is how I do and it's what I like best so… i'm do-ing swell. good job on solving that puzzle so quickly. you didn't even need my help. which is great, 'cause i love doing absolutely nothing." Sans joked in his usual relaxed manner.

"Why is that?" Alice giggled.

"well i just feel more rested and comfortable. being a sentry watching for humans is a very 'nervous system' so i definitely just like making people smile more." Sans answered honestly.

"That's very kind of you… I would talk more but quite frankly I'm a bit tired and I would love to get to Snowdin to rest." Alice admitted wearily.

"well my brother still isn't done yet but just hang in there alice. you're really making his day." Sans reassured Alice with a pat on her shoulder.

Alice wasn't used to such a bony feeling of contact yet so she slightly trembled. Still his words did make her feel better about being a bit ready to conclude the puzzle fest. Alice nodded and continued to go down Snowdin Forest. As Alice did go to the next area she almost laughed upon seeing Sans instantly there with Papyrus. _This teleporting thing is certainly a bit ridiculous_ , she thought amused. There was a strange sort of floor of many different tiles of varying but similarly grey shades and a big machine with buttons on it. Papyrus noticed Alice's arrival rabidly like a guard and spoke,

"HEY! IT'S THE ALICE! YOU'RE GONNA LOVE THIS PUZZLE! IT WAS MADE BY THE GREAT DR. ALPHYS! YOU SEE-"

"Huh? Alphys? Who's that?" Alice interrupted.

While it had been rude of her to do that, Alice had just never heard of a strange name like that and it even sounded remarkably similar to her own. Plus seeing how interesting they had made Undyne seem in their descriptions, perhaps they had more to say about this Alphys.

"she's the royal scientist for the king. she's a sweet thing but she's kind of-"

"WE ARE BEST INTERNET BUDS! SHE'S VERY OPINIONATED AND WARM AND DOESN'T TROLL PEOPLE!" It was Papyrus's turn to interrupt somebody and it happened to be Sans that he interrupted.

"... Internet? Troll? I don't really know of those terms…" Alice spoke insecurely, having bad memories of when Toriel first showed her the cellphone.

"OH. WELL THE INTERNET IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND LOTS OF INFORMATION ON DIFFERENT TOPICS, PLAY GAMES, COMMENT, SOCIALIZE, AND SEE THINGS. TROLL… IS WHAT SANS DOES HALF THE TIME TO ME." Papyrus leered at Sans in a frustrated way.

Sans just snickered a bit, clearly enjoying Papyrus's flustered demeanor. Sans winked and said,

"it's easier to show than tell later to you human. and maybe you should explain the puzzle now papyrus?"

Alice felt some glee that it seemed Sans had listened to her intently and was trying to help her reach Snowdin quicker by hurrying his brother's puzzles up. As for what she learned… she was still rather bemused. But the Internet did sound quite godly and revolutionary, as though it was an advanced library. Alphys sounded like a rather nice woman, or more likely monster, and that she was an avid user of this internet. Alphys also had connections to the king as the royal scientist… _So she may be responsible for some of the developments that have gone down here,_ Alice considered, _I should keep that in mind._ After all, while her fantasy land of Wonderland didn't really rely on science it was clear the Underground did have some aptitude with applying science to nonsense. It could also prove useful for finding more information about the nature of this world.

"AH! YOU ARE RIGHT BROTHER! YOU SEE ALICE…"

Papyrus went on to explain that Alice needed to cross this floor of tiles where each tile had a different effect. Electrocution, water, doing nothing, scents of oranges, slippery soaps that smelled like lemons, piranhas, it quickly got all very confusing for Alice. The explanation was very long and Alice was beginning to have a slight hunch this puzzle would be answered for her like the earliest puzzles. Papyrus then asked her if she needed him to explain it all again. So grinning, she simply answered,

"No, I believe I understood all that."

"GREAT! THEN THERE'S ONE LAST THING.. THIS PUZZLE… IS ENTIRELY RANDOM! WHEN I PULL THIS SWITCH, IT WILL MAKE A PUZZLE… THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE! NOT EVEN I WILL KNOW THE SOLUTION! NYEH HEH HEH! GET READY…!" Papyrus called out excitedly as he activated the machine.

The once grey tiles quickly became a spectrum of different colors, flashing to and fro like a rainbow. Strange, robotic noises ringed the air as Alice had to avert her eyes from the dazzling display. The flashes and changing layout of the tiles sped up to make it almost impossible to see what was going on. After what felt like a minute of changing and vibrant hues, the final layout was settled and the sounds ceased. Alice looked over to see… a perfectly passable path of pink tiles which Papyrus had said wouldn't do anything should she cross over them. Alice's hunch about this puzzle answering itself was right though she had to acknowledge Lady Luck had aided her.

"Well… that was… um… very sorry Papyrus." Alice apologized for Papyrus as she did feel quite bad that his puzzle epically failed like this.

Papyrus didn't answer and instead did something very unusual. He spun around and around and eventually spun his way further down the road. Alice felt a mix of emotions from surprise to joy to deep concern towards Papyrus but decided moving onward was most important. Once again though, after crossing the pink tiles, she turned to gather San's thoughts.

"actually, that spaghetti from earlier.. it wasn't too bad for my brother. since he started cooking lessons, he's been improving a lot." Sans said something that Alice hadn't expected to hear.

"Ah, he did mention Undyne was teaching him. That's very dedicated of him to learn how to cook to take care of his beloved brother," Alice said optimistically, holding a finger up as she made her point.

Sans looked away briefly and slightly frowned when Alice had said that. Alice was worried she had said something out of tune before Sans smiled again and said,

"yeah… i bet he'll be able to make a hearty meal one of these days. anyways you better keep going. there's only one more puzzle left and if you think 'pink', you'll succeed for certain."

Alice laughed as he was poking fun of how the path of pink tiles was responsible for Alice's success in this puzzle. So without anymore reason to stay around, Alice kept going deeper into the path. To her astonishment she saw a sight that was very whimsical… yet slightly creepy. There were many snow figures of what appeared to be long necks and dog faces like that of Lesser Dog. There was also another shrine-looking post that must've been one of the dogs. Alice was a little worried, remembering how tough the dog patrol members (Except Lesser Dog) had been thus far. So looking into the post, she found a box of pomeraisins on the floor. The sign next to the post said 'AWARE OF DOG pleas pet dog.' _Seems this dog doesn't know how to spell properly,_ Alice thought. Still the clear display of the dog trying to perfect the art of making a snowdog made Alice feel quite determined, especially since she was fond of making snowmen. As she continued on her way, she saw a strange deer-like monster dressed rather stylishly.

"Hello there sir. Have you seen a skeleton in a very flashy costume run past?" She asked as she curtsied.

"No ma'am but I did see a dog just rush in here, filled with inspiration. It kept trying to build a snowdog that expressed its own emotions.. But, as it built, it kept getting more excited about the sculpture.. Its neck got longer and longer, and it added more and more snow, until… It was rather sad to watch, but I couldn't turn away."

"... Hmph. I believe if you had that much time to judge, you could've helped the poor thing." Alice scolded as she was unimpressed by the spectator's judgemental attitude.

"sorry but they aren't really bright to begin with…" They replied dismissively.

Alice had no interest in further conversing with the rather condescending monster and so she carried on her way. When Alice found herself in the next area, she saw it was an ice skating rink combined with the X's and O's puzzles from before. However Alice was not used to going on the ice without ice skates and so she clumsily slid on the ice.

"Ohhh… w-whoaaaaa… t-this is soooo… ahhhhhhhh!" Alice eventually slid too fast and fell off the ice.

Rather scared she closed her eyes and found herself landing on her back in a pile of snow. Dazed, she woke up to notice two snow figures that looked rather familiar. One was a lump of snow with the word 'sans' written on it in red… ink? _Whatever it is,_ Alice thought, _it certainly seems long-lasting._ Alice smiled as she saw the name of the kind-hearted skeleton before turning to the other snow figure. It was a snow Papyrus, with Papyrus flexing his frozen water muscles quite splendidly and a piece of cloth wrapped around its neck. Alice felt warmed by the knowledge of the brothers having clearly been here before to make these snow versions of themselves (Even the lump of snow reflected Sans's laziness) and got to her feet and went back to the ice rink.

Keeping in mind how slippery the ice would be and analyzing where the X's were and what directions she needed to go, Alice made her second attempt. With improved technique and skillful maneuvering, Alice was soon able to turn the X's into O's again and activated the switch. A snowy bridge made itself apparent and Alice happily found herself sliding into a thicket of trees. It was a bit scary as she couldn't see where she was going but at the speed she was sliding, it was only a matter of moments before she reached the other end. As she emerged, she found that a snow bird had perched on top of her head. Shaking it off and feeling her head now being slightly chilled, she moved forward.

But as she did, she soon found herself confronted by a strange new creature. It appeared to be some kind of reindeer with several spots on it and rather sharp-looking teeth. There were Christmas Trees and very unusual stuff hanging on its antlers and Alice soon learned she was facing off against Gyftrot. Some teens "decorated" it as a prank which made Alice feel quite bad for the creature.

'Hohoho! Go ahead and laugh…" It said glumly, sounding frustrated and anxious.

"I-I'd never laugh at someone who was feeling miserable… oh!" Alice gasped as she found several large present boxes flung at her.

One of them was blue and recalling the blue attacks Sans had described, Alice stopped moving. The blue present box flew through her harmlessly. Smelling the scent of fresh pine needles cleared Alice's head as she realized she needed to help Gyftrot.

"I'm very sorry that you got pranked on by the others. Here, let me help you." Alice offered as she removed a childhood picture of Snowdrake and his parent from the antlers.

"That's a little better." Gyftrot said relieved.

Some rapid-fire snowfall though had Alice awkwardly dancing around to avoid getting hit and she succeeded in such. Next she proceeded to remove a stocking filled with chicken nuggets.

"... Now why on earth would anyone put chicken nuggets in a stocking?" Alice asked flabbergasted as she discarded it. Gyftrot was looking a lot less irritated but this time, a piece of snow from the snowfall did hit Alice and strangely hurt. Refusing to give up, Alice discarded the last significant piece of junk she had found on the monster's antlers. The barbed wire made of pipe cleaners was removed and Gyftrot happily said,

"A weight has been lifted."

With their problems having been taken away, Alice happily spared Gyftrot and even pet it comfortably for a few moments before it left. Alice then took notice of her new surroundings. There appeared to be a petite doghouse and several piles of snow scattered around, as well as yet another sign. _These signs are a growing trend throughout the Underground it appears,_ Alice thought. Alice took note of the sign that simply said 'Arf' as well as the fact that these piles of snow were known as snow poffs. She did manage to find 30G in one of the snow poffs but definitely, otherwise, surprisingly… they were all snow poffs. Until Alice reached for the last snow poff that was down the path. A white tail emerged from the snow poff, leading Alice to step back worried. _It must be the dog!_ She thought alert. Sure enough, an adorable doggy face also emerged from the snow poff and barked twice in a cute way.

"Aww… how very sweet". Alice couldn't resist making a comment and clasped her hands together.

But then she suddenly took note of how the dog emerged from the snow poff. They were much, much taller than the small dog-house seemed to indicate and were dressed in a full suit of armor. Of course it wasn't as tall as Lesser Dog's neck could get but the point was obvious. It also was wielding a strangely smiling spear and overall, despite its smile, it appeared ready to confront Alice like the other Patrol members. Indeed, it was… the Greater Dog.

"Uh-oh… um… nice doggy?" Alice asked hesitantly and beginning to sweat.

To her horror, it seemed the dog was so excited that it thought fighting was just play. It proved this by flinging a spear at her that shifted from blue to a regular metallic sheen. Alice managed to pass through it while it was still blue but couldn't help but be worried at how strong it would've been had it hit. With a scent of freshly squeezed puppy-juice in her nostrils, Alice attempted to bypass the dog. But not wanting to be ignored, it inched closer to her and barked loudly. It appeared it wanted her affection but Alice wasn't sure how she would be able to show it without getting pierced by a spear. Petting had been a top-notch battle tactic against all the Dog Patrol members thus far so she decided to pet it. Greater Dog curled up in Alice's lap as it was being pet by her delicate touch and got so cozy it went to sleep. However it woke up mere seconds later.

"Is it really that excited…?" Alice asked with an embarrassed smile.

Greater Dog patted the ground with its front paws as another spear was flung and avoided by Alice. Maybe I should try to get it tired…? Alice thought. Picking up some snow from the ground, Alice made a snowball and threw it for the dog to fetch. Perhaps because it was merely snow, it splattered and blended in seamlessly with the rest of the snow upon the ground. Greater Dog proceeded to pick up all the snow in the area and piled it on top of Alice herself.

"Mmphh… nnnh… huff! T-that's not… what I had hoped for…" Alice exclaimed after managing to wrestle herself out of the snow.

Fortunately, her idea did make the dog more tired and it rested its head on Alice. Alice, feeling chillier from the snowy experience, pet Greater Dog once again and it sunk its entire weight onto her. Alice found herself slowed by this and realized she needed to pet more. _That last puzzle… better be easier… than this…_ Alice thought as she struggled to carry all that weight. With a decisive pet, Alice managed to reach Greater Dog's pet capacity of 100-percent and the dog flopped over, feet dangling in the air. It was now finally content and Alice spared it before falling onto her knees exhausted.

"W-well… th-that hopefully… was the last of them…" She said to herself in between breathes for air.

However, Alice was pleasantly surprised when the dog actually leapt out of the armor to reveal itself to be a rather normally sized dog that had just engineered a much larger suit of armor. It wagged its tail excitedly and licked Alice's face, causing the English girl to laugh.

"T-thank you.. that was very fun doggy." Alice got up to her feet and thanked the dog with a curtsy.

 _Even if it isn't very vocal,_ Alice thought, _proper mannerisms still hold true._ The dog then leapt back into the armor but this time it seemed that it's tailed rump was hanging out and that it wasn't in straight. Alice was about to offer correcting this to Greater Dog but it walked away, the tail wagging with each step. This baffled Alice as it clearly couldn't have reached the armor's legs to puppeteer the way it had entered. Overall, it had definitely suggested some sort of trick was within the armor that allowed Greater Dog to command it. Feeling curious but figuring that Greater Dog wouldn't be seen again, Alice kept going. She spotted something rather scary. It was an incredibly long wooden bridge with ropes for support and it was hanging over a gorgeous view of the forest and lake. The view was breathtaking but it made Alice a bit paranoid about being so high up on what looked like a traditionally unsafe bridge. _There's nowhere else to go but forward,_ Alice gave herself much-needed good advice and kept going. She made sure to hold onto the ropes as she walked along the bridge in case of a disaster. Eventually, as she neared the other end of the bridge, she saw Sans and Papyrus again on new land.

"ALICE! THIS IS YOUR FINAL AND MOST DANGEROUS CHALLENGE! BEHOLD! THE GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR!" Papyrus decreed.

Alice then gasped as six things, held by ropes, descended down from the sky. They appeared to be a torch, two spears, a cannon, a mace, and… another dog? Alice was more concerned for the dog than for herself and asked,

"But why is the dog hanging up so dangerously like that? I thought you were trying to capture me…"

"W-WELL… THIS DOG… VOLUNTEERED. AND ANYWAYS. ONCE I GIVE THE WORD, THIS GAUNTLET WILL BE UNLEASHED! CANNONS WILL FIRE! SPIKES WILL SWING! BLADES WILL SLICE! EACH PART WILL SWING VIOLENTLY UP AND DOWN! ONLY THE TINIEST CHANCE OF VICTORY WILL REMAIN! ARE YOU READY!?" Papyrus asked.

"No… release that poor dog at once! I don't want to see it get hurt!" Alice pleaded, even more scared for the dog.

"URGH… NO! I SHALL NOT BE SWAYED BY YOUR LOGICAL DEMANDS! I! AM! ABOUT! TO! DO! IT!" Papyrus seemed hesitant but his words held power.

Alice cringed and even tried to protect herself from whatever may have happened but as it turns out… nothing activated. Even Sans had took notice of this.

"that, uh, doesn't look very activated." He said.

"WELL! THIS CHALLENGE! IT SEEMS… MAYBE… TOO EASY TO DEFEAT THE HUMAN WITH. YEAH! WE CAN'T USE THIS ONE! I AM A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS! MY PUZZLES ARE VERY FAIR! AND MY TRAPS ARE EXPERTLY COOKED! BUT THIS METHOD IS TOO DIRECT! NO CLASS AT ALL! AND I'M DEEPLY WORRIED FOR THE DOG! AWAY IT GOES!" Papyrus reasoned as he dismissively shook his hands at the Gauntlet.

Alice facepalmed in sheer awe at the epic fail of Papyrus completely letting Alice go which directly contradicted his earlier monologue of wanting to capture a human. She was glad that the dog would be ok but she couldn't help but realize that he WAS babying her. That was rather disappointing but it also had some element of curiousity to it, as though he was clearly avoiding pulling the trigger on capturing her once and for all. Given that his brother was here, Papyrus had a distinct advantage and yet wasn't using it at all. It was as though they didn't want to capture Alice even though he had sounded like he needed and dreamed of doing it. _What could it all mean?_ She thought as the Gauntlet was carried away. Alice wasn't sure what to say though and let Papyrus continue talking,

"PHEW! WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!? THIS WAS ANOTHER DECISIVE VICTORY FOR PAPYRUS! NYEH! HEH! … HEH?"

Papyrus sounded very insecure in his laugh this time and went off again down the path. Alice looked to Sans for guidance as she finally crossed the bridge.

"i don't know what my brother's going to do now. if i were you, i would make sure i understand blue attacks." Claimed Sans.

'Sans… Papyrus doesn't want to capture me does he? If he really wanted to… he'd have had you help him more directly and have used that gauntlet to corner me." Alice asked.

"...!" Sans flinched at Alice's words.

Such a reaction meant that Alice's observation might've been right on the money and Sans definitely looked shaken. But there was something out of the ordinary about this shaken up expression. It looked as though Sans was more shaken about 'had you help him' as opposed to 'doesn't want to capture me'. Which meant that maybe Sans had wanted to help Papyrus more directly but there was some special factor about it that prevented him. Maybe it was the fact Papyrus did seem like he wanted to prove himself to Undyne which would mean capturing the human themselves. Not to mention the fact Sans had no interest in capturing Alice. Alice suddenly regretted her observation as Sans looked rather anxious and clarified,

"I-I mean… he does seem to be enjoying challenging me with his puzzles and perhaps he doesn't want that to end right?"

After laughing nervously, Alice waited for Sans to respond. Sans seemed to recover his composure and turned to Alice saying,

"something along those blurred lines at any rate. i mean i don't know everything about my brother but yeah… i think he's enjoying getting to know a human for the first time ever. anyways, i got some news for you… along this path… is SNOWDIN. and i think you're gonna like it here."

"S-Snowdin… at last…!" Alice gasped so relieved she could've burst into tears.

To Be Continued...


	9. Town Cascaded in Snow

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 8 Town Cascaded in Snow

"yep SNOWDIN. home to the most awesome skeleton's you'll ever meet and a great place to get some grub." Sans winked at her as he described the new place.

"O-oh…! Oh thank you Sans! If it wasn't for you I might've not ever made it here as soon!" Alice, overcome with joy and excitement, began to cry as she hugged Sans tightly.

While Snowdin Forest had been very solemn with many curious and unique things like the Snowman, it did seem awfully barren. So the idea of going to a town where there was bound to be a number of different monsters to speak to or faculties to go to was a dream come true. It would be her first true glimpse into the Underground's way of life and define if it really was a world of Alice's own. _I'm also hoping they'll have something like tea or hot chocolate to drink_ , Alice thought as she realized Sans was surprisingly warm for a skeleton. She decided it was probably due to his rather wisely chosen attire for the cold. Sans himself didn't seem to surprised by Alice's display of emotion and happily hugged back. It seemed as though he understood that what he was doing would make Alice very happy so he was not embarrassed in the slightest and instead very proud.

"it's no problem pal. you're gonna have a good time here. if you have any puzzles to complete or need help present-ing yourself, just come find me." Sans advised warmly.

"I don't believe I want to see another puzzle for quite some time. Those were very enjoyable but right now I'm simply n the mood for unwinding and exploring." Alice giggled a bit reticently as she didn't want to hurt his feelings.

"understandable. there's a wide 'radius' so… have fun alice." Sans said as he parted from the hug and went down the path.

Alice watched Sans go with admiration and also realized that his house was somewhere in this Snowdin. _I definitely must find it,_ Alice thought, _I wonder what kind of house it would be._ Sans did not seem like the castle or manor type… and he was living with Papyrus so probably something along the lines of a rustic house. Either way, Alice took one last look behind her at the bridge, the exquisite horizon, and the ever still trees of the forest. Recalling how she felt like Little Red Riding Hood when she entered the woods, now she was about to reach grandmother's house. Chuckling at her fanciful metaphor, Alice entered Snowdin. The first thing she saw was a long white banner that said 'WELCOME TO SNOWDIN'. The first two words were in a red font while 'Snowdin' itself had a very appropriate blue font. There were two delicate flowers by the banner as well as a series of colorful lights wrapped around the stumps that were holding the banner up. They looked quite festive and made Alice feel even more excited.

She then noticed a rather large building that could be considered as having two different offerings within the entire building. It had two doors and five windows, with a window on either side of the door and an interlocking window. Snow covered the rooftops of the simply opulent building and Alice noticed two different signs hanging above the doors. One said 'SHOP' and the other said 'INN'. Now when Alice thought of a shop, she thought of a nice boutique where you could buy specific products like gifts or toys or clothes. _There's no telling what a monster might offer to sell to me,_ Alice realized. As for the Inn, the Inn sounded extremely inviting and would probably have warmth and maybe even drinks. Alice decided it was only fair to investigate both and so she began by entering the store.

"Hello, traveler. How can I help you?" Said a rather mindful and caring female voice.

At the counter of the store appeared to be a bunny but unlike the White Rabbit, she was tall and had a curvy shape to her and was wearing more casual clothes. She had a very pretty hat, subtle make-up, a tank-top over a more luxurious black top, and a very beautiful necklace. In the warm orange glow of the entire shop she appeared with a purple complexion and it was very magical.

"Ah, hello there miss. My name is Alice and I was just seeing what was in this shop." Alice introduced herself in her usual, curtsy-filled way.

"Well here you can find some equipment to brave the elements and just some fun treats. The most popular is my hand-baked Cinnamon Bun." The rabbit said smiling.

Alice had acquired quite a bit of G from her adventures and she saw that it wasn't at all that expensive. Keeping in mind what else she had in her inventory, she noticed that she had the Snowman Piece, a cloth towel she had taken to the park, and the crossword puzzle that she was still intent on solving soon. Deciding to take the shopkeeper up on her offer, Alice announced,

"Well then, I believe I shall take one of your Cinnamon Buns please."

After exchanging money for purchase, Alice found it was a cinnamon roll in the shape of a bunny. Considering her fondness for rabbits, Alice felt this was a delightful treat to have and she placed it in her apron pockets for later. It seemed as though her pockets had a lot more available room to place things in it lately...

"Thanks for your purchase." The shopkeeper said happily.

"You are very welcome. So this really is Snowdin?" Alice asked, hoping to strike up a conversation.

"Yeah and I got to say I can't remember the last time I saw a fresh face around here. Where did you come from? The capital?" The bunny asked.

"Oh, well you see. I actually came from England and I fell down here through a rabbit hole. I know it sounds too fictional to have actually occurred but I'm being truthful." Alice insisted gently.

"England? Oh yeah… that's a human place. Whoa… then that means you came down here from up above. Well you must be really lonely then, sorry about that. Snowdin's a fairly welcoming town so you'll be at home here."

"That's very kind of you to try to make me feel more comfortable but I'm already quite fond of the Underground. So what do monsters do down here?" Alice asked feeling touched by the shopkeeper's sensitivity.

"You want to know what we do down here in Snowdin? Grillby's has food, and the library has information… if you're tired you can take a nap at the inn. It's right next door- my sister runs it. And if you're bored, you can sit outside and watch those wacky skeletons do their thing." The Shopkeeper explained.

Alice instantly was given a lot of wonderful new information to work with. Grillby's sounded a lot like a bar or a place for more casual fare. She was a little worried she would be underage for it but if it was the only restaurant then chances are she would be allowed to eat there. There was also a library where all sorts of possibilities for Alice awaited. Lore about the Underground, stories that the Monsters had written, history and religious texts, even their own version of fairy tales were all things Alice was hoping to see. Furthermore it was clear that Sans and Papyrus had a very big but positive reputation in the town as the shopkeeper considered watching them 'something to do.' Something about that seemed quite amusing to Alice as they were rather eccentric people.

"Sans and Papyrus right? They are very delightful skeletons." Alice said.

"Yeah that's them alright. One day they just came to town… and asserted themselves… The town has gotten a lot more interesting ever since." The Shopkeeper said.

"Hmm? So they weren't originally from around here? Where did they come from?" Alice asked curious.

"No one really knows or at least no one has bothered asking them. I mean most monsters down here kind of know each other seeing we can't really… get out." The Shopkeeper gave an insecure smile as she replied.

"... Well what is the history of this town then if I may ask?" Alice asked as she held her arm in a nervous way.

"A long time ago, monsters lived in the RUINS back in the forest. Long story short, we all decided to leave the ruins and head for the end of the caverns. Along the way, some fuzzy folk decided they liked the cold and set up camp in Snowdin. Oh, and don't think about trying to explore the RUINS… The door's been locked for ages. So unless you're a ghost or can burrow under the door, forget about it." The Shopkeeper said teasingly.

 _Sounds a lot like how other countries have expanded,_ Alice thought when the Shopkeeper described how monsters had been exploring and some chose to stay at places along the way. Furthermore Alice suddenly realized that nobody knew about Toriel living in the ruins which also explained why Toriel had not wanted anyone to know about her. Though that also seemed strange as it appeared that Sans had knew her from the similar taste in puns and the subject matter of the pun in Toriel's diary. _Perhaps Sans was also sworn to secrecy by her then,_ Alice considered. Alice was glad to hear the history of Snowdin wasn't anything violent or full of complexity compared to the histories of other societies Alice knew about. It was a sign that these monsters were very united and looked out for one another. Alice decided to ask the Shopkeeper one more question.

"So how is your life then ma'am?"

"Life is the same as usual. A little claustrophobic… But… we all know deep down that freedom is coming, don't we? As long as we got that hope, we can grit our teeth and face the same struggles, day after day… That's life ain't it?" The bunny showed real vulnerability in her answer.

"I… I'd like to imagine so yes. I mean they say good things come to those who wait and I'd like to believe that things like 'freedom' can be attained if you strive for it and actively attempt to make change." Alice spoke with an air of wisdom about her.

After all, many events and places in human history had been shaped by those ideals. Independence, freedom, human rights… all earned and gained by those who believed. Alice suddenly felt a bit embarrassed thinking so hard about the human world in this fantasy world. Still her words made the Shopkeeper smile at her.

"You definitely have a point there Alice. You're also real optimistic too. I hope you come again sometime! You are fun conversation." The Shopkeeper said.

"I'll do my best." Alice remarked and she left the shop with a friendly wave good-bye.

Eager to meet the Shopkeeper's sister after that pleasant encounter, Alice went over to the inn next. Inside was a pretty pink rabbit in a yellow and blue dress smiling pleasantly behind the counter and a small little rabbit, their face just peeking slightly above the counter. Alice was definitely happy to see so many rabbits around here as they all reminded her of the beloved White Rabbit. So she went over to speak to both of them.

"Mom says that sleeping can recover your health over your maximum HP… what's maximum HP?" The small little rabbit asked Alice.

"I don't know myself. Very curious… and oh, so you are his mother ma'am?" Alice replied before turning to who appeared to be the Innkeeper and asking.

"Yes dearie. I am. Welcome to Snowed Inn! Snowdin's premier hotel! One night is 80G." The Innkeeper replied.

"I believe I shall stay a night then. Are warm drinks included?" Alice asked kindly.

"Sure dearie, I can make you some and bring it up to you. Sleep tight ok?"

"Certainly." Alice then proceeded to climb up the stairs to find a quaint empty room.

There was a very cute rug with hearts on it which reminded Alice of a character she had envisioned in her Wonderland. But she was too tired to take in any more decor and she slumped rather inelegantly into bed. No sooner had she closed her eyelids when she heard a disturbingly loud snore from the room next door. There was something rhythmic about it and sure enough, a chorus of at least two more snores joined in. It made for interesting entertainment but also made for terrible disruption. Alice tried to ignore it but it simply was too loud and she even tried blocking her eardrums with the pillow but this only served to bother her further. After only two minutes of being inside the room, Alice huffed and realized she was not going to ever get sleep here. Banking on something else, she left the room and returned to the Innkeeper who had a cup of hot chocolate for her.

"Hiya! You look like you had a great sleep. Which is incredible, because you were only up there for two minutes…" The Innkeeper shared.

"... Please consider looking into the behavior of other guests ma'am." Alice replied rather coldly as she wasn't pleased at having her attempt at rest ruined like that.

"Sorry about that. We'll try to improve the quality of the rooms for guests to sleep. Feel free to come back at any time." The Innkeeper said.

Alice took the hot chocolate and drink it calmly before leaving the inn. It was rich and creamy with perfect texture and warmth. So if she was to give a review, she would rate this at about 3 stars since the service and decor was nice as well as the offerings, but being able to hear the most obnoxious snoring through the walls was a clear detriment. After finishing the hot chocolate and returning the cup, Alice left the Inn and carried on in into the center of Snowdin. As she carried further into the town she started noticing a few residents as well as a curious igloo with a sign next to it. Alice read the sign to find 'Don't want to walk to the other side of town? Try the undersnow tunnels! They're efficiently laid out!'

"Oh! Like a rabbit hole!" Alice exclaimed cheerfully.

With this interesting shortcut in mind, Alice continued her walk down into the town. Passing by a rabbit who seemed to be standing in front of a door to a house and a female rabbit walking a much smaller rabbit… _Ok that's a tad bit disturbing,_ Alice thought thinking of how a rabbit was walking another rabbit as a pet. Suddenly, Alice spotted something that took her breath away. There was no mistaking it, it was a genuine Christmas Tree. The star shining brightly on top of it, lavish red and orange ornaments hanging from it's branches, and beautifully wrapped presents lying underneath the tree. Alice was very surprised and even delighted to see such a familiar and charming sight laid out in front of her. A bear in a cozy-looking orange and yellow sweater was laying a new present box underneath the tree. Alice approached the bear and asked him.

"Sir, do you mean to say that you celebrate Christmas down here?"

The bear explained,

"Awful teens tormented a local monster by decorating its tree-like horns. So we started giving that monster presents to make it feel better. Now it's a tradition to put presents underneath a decorated tree."

"Oh… so it's not a named holiday? Well that's very interesting for I know of a holiday quite similar to that." Alice explained as she realized the monster he was talking about was Gyftrot.

"Really? What's it like?" The bear asked.

"Well it is a time of virtue and spending time with family and friends. There are presents, caroling, and it's also rather religious. As for it's name, it's called Christmas." Alice spoke eloquently.

"Sounds like a wonderful holiday" The bear spoke as they set down another present that looked strange in shape.

Upon closer inspection it appeared to resemble a bone. Alice wasn't sure why anyone would gift someone a bone. Though it more than likely was for a dog, like one of the Dog Patrol. Alice nodded towards the bear, thanked him, and noticed how some of the other presents were addressed from 'Santa' to various locals. _It's beginning to look even more and more like Christmas,_ Alice thought. As she walked by, she noticed a small yellow monster that reminded her of a dinosaur. It had no arms, a tail, was wearing a yellow shirt with brown stripes, spines on the back of its head, and seemingly black eyes. Alice thought it looked very much like a kid and was surprised when it said,

"Yo! You don't seem to be a kid… you're not wearing a striped shirt. Who are ya then?"

"Oh… well… I'm very much a young lady then in that case. My name is Alice," Alice curtsied and replied, slightly taken aback by the upfront statement.

They had a young, outgoing voice and seemed very perky if a bit goofy. Alice realized this monster's name really was Monster Kid and that he was a big fan of Undyne. Though that made Alice a bit puzzled. Whenever she unconsciously identified a monster they had been monsters who were facing her and that she needed to pacify. For example, she hadn't identified the Shopkeeper or the bear she had just spoken to but yet somehow she was identifying Monster Kid. Such a thought was very curious and even a bit unnerving to her as if it was a premonition. Still the kid's innocence relieved Alice and he replied.

"Alice huh? Pretty name! I hope we can see each other soon! There's a lot I want to see! Like Undyne!" The Monster Kid yelled cheerfully.

"Really! Well that's wonderful to hear you have goals in mind at such a young age. Bye bye." Alice excused herself politely as she continued to investigate Snowdin.

She found another bear who told her that the town had no mayor of any kind but rather if there was a problem, a skeleton would tell a fish lady about it. 'Thaaaaaat's politics!' He had said. Alice mentally disagreed as leadership for any town was important though realized monsters had a much different situation than humans did. After smiling to herself about the differences, she came across Grillby's. On the outside, Grillby's fortunately looked a lot more sophisticated than the name implied and she could even see a steaming cup of something to drink through the window. A vase of pretty morning glories was outside and snow was covering the perches above the windows and door. _I'm not necessarily hungry right now,_ Alice thought, _but it'd be nice to see more of the locals._ So inside Alice went… and she was immediately surprised.

"Oh!" She gasped melodramatically, unable to help herself.

First off, the Dog Guard members that Alice had previously encountered were gathered around two tables out of three. Dogamy, Dogaressa, Doggo, and Greater Dog were at the big rectangular table with cups and cards sprawled out on it. Lesser Dog was at it's own smaller table, sitting on a stool with a bowl of kibble and playing cards. The last table went abandoned with a bottle of drink on it. There were also two booths with a unique character in each booth. One was an almost indescribable monster with giant teeth and the other appeared to be an orange, very dizzy looking bunny. There was also a red bird and an ugly fish sitting at the stools towards what appeared to be the main counter of Grillby's and a punk-dressing hamster hanging by what appeared to a music-playing machine with a very stylized and futuristic design. There was a rather glitzy sign that seemed to flash a bright pink and blue behind the machine that said 'Grillbys' with an exaggerated 'S' and a glass. As for the main counter, Alice was most amazed to see there was what appeared to be a living flame dressed in a very elegant suit with a bowtie and wore glasses. They were cleaning a glass with a towel without any signs of the towel being lit aflame by his touch. _I wonder if that's Grillby himself,_ Alice pondered as she had to admit this was a very inviting interior. Judging by the cabinet of what was no doubt craft beers and wines, there was an element of it being more of a bar than a restaurant but it seemed to fit the theme of Snowdin thus far.

"A newcomer? Oh my, we rarely get any of those." The red bird, who seemed to be female, said as she took note of Alice.

"Oh… well… I'm sorry. I was just curious to see what was inside. Is this one of those exclusive places?" Alice asked as she was flabbergasted about the Dog Guard being here.

"..." The flame said nothing at all but the red bird seemed to be listening intently to them.

"Grillbz says anyone is welcome and to make yourself at home." The red bird translated.

"Ah, thank you… my name is Alice." Alice curtsied once again as she introduced herself.

Some of the Dog Guard did turn to face her but most of them had warm smiles towards her, as though they now considered her friendly and not anyone worth killing. They quickly turned their attentions to their normal business. Alice wasn't really sure who to talk to first but she did notice that the bunny seemed to groaning and clearly looked dazed so she wondered if they needed help.

"Excuse me sir, but is everything alright?" Alice slipped into the booth as she felt she needed a seat.

"No matter where I go, it's the same menu, the same people… Help! I want new drinks an' h-h-h-hot guys!" The bunny cried out.

Alice was suddenly rather puzzled. From the voice she figured the bunny to be a male but yet… he was saying 'hot guys' much like how say ideally, Alice would ask if she was pursuing love. _For him that's the same gender,_ Alice thought, _so what does that mean?_ Alice looked uncomfortable as she knew from society's standards, it was traditional for a male and a female to get together. It was not traditional to get together the other way around, no matter what the gender was. So she asked him,

"D-do… monsters… not discriminate same gender relationships?" Alice asked as she was genuinely intrigued by such an ideal.

"..." Grillby was looking straight at Alice as was practically every other monster in the bar.

"Grillbz asks why do you ask?" The red bird translated.

"A-ah… well you see… where I come from it is… frowned upon and I believe illegal. The only relationship I've ever known about is between a man and a woman." Alice explained.

She was by no means a professor on this subject and really her only experience of it never being accepted was that she had never heard or seen of such activity. After all, the fairytales her sister would read to her had romance between a prince and a princess, never between two of the same. She was too young to really understand why but her more curious side was interested in seeing what the monsters had to say about it. Personally, if Alice was to choose, she would simply choose for people to be with who they want to be with. But like she mentioned to Sans, England had many rules and ideas of proper behavior and etiquette. So something like this was highly prone to questioning and outrage if it happened there…

"(That's a prime difference between humans and monsters. For example, dogs can get married.)" Dogaressa said, petting Dogamy tenderly as she spoke.

"It's always been part of our culture. Humans have had to fight long and hard for those rights I hear but monsters have never really judged like that." The punk hamster spoke.

"Huh… so… I come from England and it has been brought to my attention I come from an entirely different time. When did it happen for England then to be so accepting?" Alice asked curiously.

This whole time the bunny had not spoken again. Alice was worried she had offended him but on the contrary they seemed oddly happy. As though pleased to meet someone so interested in that subject. It was also possible they were still too dizzy, Alice had a hunch it was due to drinking, to reply properly.

"As I recall it was somewhere around the mid to late 20th century. The reason we know that is from some newspapers and stuff that we find lying around the garbage dump." Said the fish man.

"... Wow. So… they accepted it then?" Alice seemed pleasantly surprised by that knowledge.

"Monsters did it first… and come to think of it, human food is a lot different from monster food. Human food supposedly can spoil and passes all the way through your body. It's disgusting… I have to try it someday!" The big mouthed monster said almost contradictory.

For the first time, Alice felt as though that there was some positive to being here in the future. She learned that humans had become more accepting of different relationships and people's rights than in her time. She also learned that monsters were truthfully very honest and good-hearted in their needs and wants. They seemed very accepting and weren't prejudiced against other monsters for petty things or things that would be significant in Alice's time. There was… a definite sense of freedom of beliefs in the Underground. Perhaps it was due to their shared fate that they became so understanding of one another and developed a true camaraderie. Alice felt incredibly touched by this revelation and put a hand to her heart gracefully as she closed her eyes in thought. _This all happens in the future..._

"I-I mean hot guys are just… my preference… but yeah! T-there's no problem with that at all!" The bunny finally spoke up again.

"I think that's very sweet of you to be honest with your feelings. My society is very strict so I have to say this is very new to me. This open-mindedness… I'll treasure these experiences greatly." Alice said.

"..." Grillby seemed to be indicating something to the bird again.

"Grillbz says that he finds your willingness to learn admirable. He'd also offer a cup of water but he can't really touch those…" The bird said with a small giggle.

"Oh! No thank you… I had hot chocolate earlier… oh dear. I'm terribly sorry if I made things more serious than they needed to be here," Alice apologized, wondering if she had gotten a bit too intellectual in her conversation.

"You don't need to overthink it that much. Though I would be careful where I sit around here because that big guy WILL jump into your lap and give you lots of love and attention." Dogamy said to Alice as he eyed Greater Dog.

"I'll keep that in mind. Um… so you two seem to be quite happy," Alice replied, feeling glad she had chosen a booth seat.

"(We are happy together ever since you helped us. Although we never get any respect as sentries from anyone else. I wish those skeletons would throw us a bone. We love bones.)" Dogaressa said.

"Well perhaps if I find a bone I'll give it to you then and I did see a present under the tree that looked like one." Alice pointed out.

"You'd share with me wouldn't you my hot dog?" Dogamy asked Dogaressa.

"(Absolutely.)" Dogaressa replied and the two kissed gently.

"Hey! Human!" Doggo's voice demanded Alice's attention.

"Yes?" Alice asked meekly.

"I wanted to let you know I was thinking of getting a spiked collar to show off my personality. It makes a statement like… "Attach a leash to me and take me for a walk please." Doggo shared some personal information with Alice.

 _That seems very ironic,_ Alice thought. It made it seem as though Doggo wanted to be dependent on someone or simply wanted someone who loved and treated it like a dog. Still it was very reassuring to Alice that the Dog Guard was being so nice to her and not trying to confront her like before. With that in mind Alice nodded and let Doggo know that she appreciated his determination. Alice then conversed and saw what everyone else in Grillby's was doing. Greater Dog made a strange sound, Lesser Dog was playing poker against itself and facing an uphill battle, and the red bird mentioned how the Dog Guard was a division of the Royal Guard and how kids wanted to be like Undyne. _Similar to Monster Kid then,_ Alice thought. Furthermore, the ugly fish mentioned they had let out a fishing rod in the hopes of attracting one of the many fish in the sea to call his number. Alice knew it was best not to invite trouble or let him know that she had seen that fishing rod with the number so she said nothing. Finally the hamster appeared to be afraid of city-slickers moving into Snowdin and ruining the local culture. Alice hadn't expected getting to know this many people so fondly and she felt at home and in her element. So with grace and poise, Alice made her exit with a friendly,

"Goodbye!"

Alice noticed two more citizens, a mouse wrapped thoroughly by a green scarf and a rather intimidating monster wearing a devilish cape. The mouse had a very realistic view of the Underground and the troubles they were facing.

"Dreariness, Crowding. Lack of sunlight." Those words stood out to Alice's mind.

Crowding or overpopulation was a definite problem that could arise in some societies and sunlight was vital for plants and good health. So Alice had to admit that was very hard to hear and she wished there was more she could do for them. The devilish monster was more optimistic about it though felt they couldn't do anything about their problems. With this somewhat grim encounter, Alice noticed a path that went to the left and seized the opportunity. Following the path led her to an open space with a small cozy looking cottage and… three strange things on the snow. They appeared to be… jelly? One had a moustache, one was teal with a red cap, and the other was teal.

"Let's play Monsters and Humans!" The capped one said.

"You aren't gonna make me be the human again, are you?" The plain teal one said.

"Ah, to be young again. The world sure felt boundless." The moustached one said.

"..." Alice decided to ignore these three as she was absolutely baffled on what they were and how they were talking.

Turning to the cottage, she knocked on it daintily. She wasn't sure what was inside and it might've been rude to do so, but Alice wanted to gather as much information as she could about Snowdin.

"Ahh, what a beautiful knock…! Maybe if I don't answer, I'll hear it again." Said whoever was inside.

"Err… well… I suppose it wouldn't hurt…" Alice conceded hesitantly and knocked again.

"Ahh, my patience rewards me." They said.

"I suppose they'll just have me keep knocking on the door forever should I keep this up." Alice told herself and noticed a strange hut that had some sort of moving part laid out in front of it.

Giant blocks of ice were sliding on the moving part, perhaps one of those conveyer belts she heard about, and being picked up by perhaps the most muscular monster she had seen yet. It was a wolf and looked cunning and strong. It wasn't wearing anything but was covered in fur and seemed to be lifting these ice cubes to…

"Throw them into the river? Hmm… perhaps it's to have plentiful drinking water?" Alice inquired curiously as she saw the wolf hurl the heavy block into the river like it was a baseball.

"Excuse me sir! Can you please tell me why you are throwing those ice blocks?!" Alice called out to the wolf to get his attention.

However the wolf seemed too occupied with their duty at the moment, and the ice blocks were heading towards him rather quickly, so Alice let it go. She retraced her steps and soon found herself between Grillby's and the path she had yet to go down. When she looked over she saw a magnificent, big, brick building with a sign that said… 'Librarby' above the door.

"T-that's not how you spell library at all! Hmm… that doesn't seem like a very reassuring sign does it? As though whoever is in charge of this library doesn't care much for it..." Alice told herself as though giving herself good advice.

Alice took no time in walking inside the misnamed library to see what was in it. She was especially hoping for books that had nothing but pictures in it. Inside she noticed four monsters, three of which were gathered around a table with a doily placed neatly on the center. There were six particularly large bookshelves of two rows with books in red, blue, yellow, orange, mint green, and forest green colors. A ladder was placed perfectly for anyone to reach the top shelves and there was also a potted cactus and decorative rug for fashionable taste. The three monsters at the table were a strange monster consisting of a large eyeball with legs and horns, a rather pretty blonde-haired rhino with a pink dress, and a stylish looking green monster with make-up and a brown bun. The librarian himself appeared to be a green lizard dressed studiously with glasses.

"Welcome to the library. Yes, we know. The sign is misspelled." Said the librarian.

"Are you going to correct it soon?" Alice asked.

"I don't think that's possible since we built this library a long time ago. Not to mention there's a strange novelty to a misspelled sign don't you think?" He asked.

"I suppose there is a whimsy to a misspelled sign… but for a place of higher learning and education it seems more important to stay true to what is right. Still if you say so and seeing as I am a visitor, I have no objections." Alice spoke as she tapped into more of her wisdom.

"Then enjoy yourself and read, read, read!"

Alice nodded at the librarians words and walked over to the red shelf of books first. She found a student report that looked interesting and began to read it. 'Monster funerals, technically speaking, are cool as heck. When monsters get old and kick the bucket, they turn into dust. At funerals, we take that dust and spread it on that person's favorite thing. Then their essence will love on in that thing… Uhhh, am I at the page minimum yet? I'm kinda sick of writing this.'

"...!" Alice was visibly disturbed.

This information made something that Alice had experienced very clear now. That nightmare she had in the Ruins about the strange other Alice being covered in dust and then Toriel herself turning into dust upon death was now explained. Monsters by nature, dissolved into dust when they died. While this report was fairly innocent despite the writer clearly not being invested, it had much darker implications if a monster were to not die of getting old. It also was important information in case she found dust in an unusual area which could potentially serve as a warning sign of something dangerous. Moving onto the blue shelf she pulled out a book and read. 'While monsters are mostly made of magic, human beings are mostly made of water. Humans, with their physical forms, are far stronger than us. But they will never know the joy of expressing themselves through magic. They'll never get a bullet-pattern birthday card…'

"Not even an unbirthday card?" Alice chuckled to herself as she was reminded of a silly thought of hers she had once.

A birthday comes once in a year on the day you were born. 1 out of 365. But that left 364 unbirthdays to celebrate and enjoy oneself. On a more serious note, Alice found it very interesting that monsters themselves thought humans were much stronger than humans. In the real world, Alice felt that humans would be powerless against the strange, arcane powers than the monsters have. Perhaps they did have more sheer fortitude and gunfire than monsters but she felt magic always had a deep versatility to it. You could simply make things disappear with magic while humans didn't have that luxury. Furthermore the whole concept of DETERMINATION clearly didn't apply to the real world as Alice did not have the sort of powers she displayed with Toriel that she did when she was hanging around with Dinah. _All in all,_ Alice thought, _very curious philosophies these monsters have._

"I wonder what these gold books have to say…" Alice said as she moved onto the next shelf.

'(Here I am… Writing this book. A person comes in and picks up the book… They start reading it…!) Oh, sorry. I'm still writing that one.' _What nonsense,_ Alice critiqued in her head and put it away. Still curious for more knowledge, she dug into the orange shelf next and pulled out another monster-related text. 'Because they are made of magic, monsters' bodies are attuned to their SOUL. If a monster doesn't want to fight, its defenses will weaken. And the crueller the intentions of our enemies, the more their attacks will hurt us. Therefore, if a being with a powerful SOUL struck with the desire to kill… Um, let's end the chapter here...'

"... How awful." Alice said as she looked quite shocked by the profound message of this text.

Thinking along the lines of what Flowey and Chara had said in the past, and wondering what they were up to at this moment, Alice realized that they potentially could inflict devastating harm since it was clear they were willing to kill. She remembered how Flowey had sweet-talked her into near vulnerability until Alice herself stood up for herself and was rescued by Toriel. Who knows what the end result could've been if Flowey tried doing that to someone else. It also meant that the SOUL was definitely a double-edged sword that could be used for good and evil. Alice felt fortunate her heart was in the right place and understood that might be why the monsters she had met in Snowdin were so welcoming. Sans and Papyrus even seemed to understand that although she was still a bit nervous about Papyrus trying to capture her… Reaching into the mint green shelf, Alice found a book that was the fourth part to a monster history. 'Fearing the humans no longer, we moved out of our old city, HOME. We braved harsh cold, damp swampland, and searing heat… Until we reached what is now called our capital. "NEW HOME." Again, our King is really bad at names…?'

"I suppose they really aren't fond of the king's creativity then." Alice murmured feeling a bit embarrassed for the king.

She realized that the harsh cold was probably this area and from the sounds of it, damp swampland must've been the WATERFALL that Napstablook had told her. The searing heat sounded uncomfortable but also exciting so Alice was impressed with the variety of geographical types in the Underground. Taking a look into the final shelf, Alice pulled out one last text and began to read. 'Love, hope, compassion… This is what people say monster SOULS are made of. But the absolute nature of "SOUL" is unknown. After all, humans have proven their SOULS don't need these things to exist.' Alice winced at the severe insult to her species. It seemed that there were monsters in the underground who felt humans lacked love, hope, and compassion. _Given their history I find that to be fairly justified,_ Alice concluded. Alice herself did have love, hope, and compassion she felt and she hoped maybe she could set a more positive example of humans… from the past. _That is very awkward isn't it?_ She thought to herself. Putting the book away, she decided to converse with the three monsters at the table.

"When I was younger, my teachers gave me word searches when they ran out of assignments. I thought they were a waste of time. But look at me now… I'm the number-one word-search creator in the underground!" The stylish monster coughed.

"I love working on the newspaper! There's so little to report that we just fill it with comics and games." Said the rhino.

"Oh, well I suppose if you don't have any news to report then you have to do something to keep your newspaper appealing. Hmm… do you know any recent news that may be of interest to me?" Alice inquired from the two monsters.

"Oh! Well there is a famous cold case around here. Pun not intended. Some monsters in Snowdin as well as across the Underground disappeared after volunteering for an experiment. No one knows what happened to them and at this point most of the monsters have moved on from it. At least that's what we said when we last reported it." The rhino explained.

"Disappearances…? Hmm… well that's not very positive but it does sound quite important. I hope those monsters are found someday." Alice said sympathetically.

She wondered if Flowey may have been responsible but the use of 'experiment' suggested it had been a volunteer effort that clearly went wrong somewhere. Alice didn't really know of anyone yet who could be behind experiments. There was that Alphys character Sans and Papyrus mentioned but without having met her, Alice had no room to throw theories about her around. After all, the royal scientist could mean they did different types of science beyond things related to monsters. Either way it was important to know as it alerted Alice to be careful and could be something to look into for a way to get out of here.

"Me too… it was crazy and hard on all of us when it happened." The stylish monster said.

As for the eyeball… they seemed able to tell that Alice had difficulty with Junior Jumble which was rather creepy. Alice felt she was done with the library at this point so she took her leave and continued forward deeper into the town. It was at this point she noticed a magnificent house that was at least two floors, with a gorgeous balcony hanging over it, and christmas lights on the windows with a wreath on the door. There were also two mailboxes with one mailbox being positively stuffed to the brim with what appeared to be unread junk mail and the other being closed. The house was locked but it definitely made Alice curious as to who lived here. She had a hunch it might've been Sans and Papyrus, especially given the two mailboxes, but at this point it was rather difficult to confirm. She also noticed another igloo which probably was the one that connected to the other igloo on the left end of town. Finally, Alice noticed a strange wooden shed that was also locked, this time from the inside.

"Perhaps it's keeping tools meant for clearing snow?" Alice theorized given all the snow.

Either way, Alice suddenly had a worrying feeling in her heart as she noticed the path led out of Snowdin and further into what appeared to be a small forest trail. She hadn't seen Sans or Papyrus again since she departed into the town and she wondered if they were awaiting her from further down. That would mean that Papyrus would make his last stand towards capturing her and bringing her to Asgore which would surely mean her end. Or would he spare her after all the bonding and things they went through? Alice was petrified about finding out what his decision would be but knew if she wanted to see Waterfall or anything else, she'd have to move forward. With a deep breath, she went into the forest trail.

"Oh… where'd this mist come from?" Alice asked nervously as a chilling, thick, frosty mist swirled around the trailer.

She could make out the shadows of certain things but visibility was heavily reduced otherwise. The temperature also felt as cold as when Alice first arrived to the Snowdin Forest without her cape. So shivering, Alice kept moving forward… but then had to stop in a panic. A shadowy, tall silhouette was standing there down the path as though waiting for her. Alice tried not to assume anything but the shape, the cape, everything was just like him. There was no denying what was going to come next. She was about to face off against the Great Papyrus.

To Be Continued...


	10. Painting the Roses Blue

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 9 Painting the Roses Blue

"HUMAN. ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS." Papyrus gave an opening statement that made Alice very surprised to hear.

"Complex feelings you say?" Alice inquired.

"FEELINGS LIKE… THE JOY OF FINDING ANOTHER PASTA LOVER. THE ADMIRATION FOR ANOTHER'S PUZZLE-SOLVING SKILLS. THE DESIRE TO HAVE A COOL, SMART PERSON THINK YOU ARE COOL. THESE FEELINGS… THEY MUST BE WHAT YOU ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW!" Papyrus declared, his silhouette pointing towards Alice in the fog.

Alice repressed a deep sigh. Papyrus was so far off it was rather amusing. Perhaps if Alice wasn't so nervous of the fact she knew Papyrus was going to attempt to capture her one last time, she would've felt feelings similar to those. The joy of eventually solving that elusive crossword with Papyrus, the admiration for San's intelligence and charm, the desire to learn more about the Underground and see Waterfall. There were also feelings of missing home, wishing that things could've been different, and of course a dread about being hunted down. Considering all this, Alice soon devised an idea on how to pacify Papyrus. _I need to simply talk him down from attempting to capture me,_ Alice thought.

"I really wish I was feeling that way Papyrus but there are feelings I have right now that are really making things difficult for me. Like fear… and loneliness…" Alice said as she hugged herself for a bit more warmth.

"HMM… WELL I CAN'T SAY I HAVE EVER WONDERED ABOUT WHAT IT'D BE LIKE TO HAVE LOTS OF FRIENDS. I AM VERY GREAT YOU KNOW. BUT FOR YOU TO FEEL THAT WAY… I PITY YOU ALICE… WORRY NOT! YOU SHALL BE LONELY NO LONGER!" Papyrus spoke with a tone that was bright and brimming with excitement.

"R-really…? How will I no longer be alone?" Alice asked as she felt a burst of hope from that statement.

 _Maybe he really has seen reason,_ Alice thought as she tried to catch a glimpse of the expression Papyrus was wearing through the fog. If she could see that face… it would certainly fill her with the DETERMINATION she needed. To know that after having finally gone out into the Underground, she made a friend.

"I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR LAWFUL… FIRST… N-NO… NO, THIS IS ALL WRONG!" Papyrus's voice seemed to crack with doubt and he turned around.

"P-Papyrus…?" Alice flinched at this sudden outburst.

"I CAN'T BE YOUR FRIEND! YOU ARE A HUMAN! I MUST CAPTURE YOU! THEN, I CAN FULFILL MY LIFELONG DREAM! POWERFUL, POPULAR, PRESTIGIOUS! THAT'S PAPYRUS!"

Alice looked heartbroken and dismayed as the words she heard slashed at her determination like blades. Truthfully, and based on what Sans had told her, she had slightly expected Papyrus to still try to capture a human. After all it had been his lifelong dream to become a member of the Royal Guard. He could've been pursuing that dream for years and now that Alice's arrival signaled his first real chance at attaining the glory he wanted, he wasn't going to simply let it slip away. However, this meant that Alice had not been able to convince him of her innocence or convince him to give up capturing humans altogether. No matter what smiles they had shared, it seemed he would use her as a stepping stone. She had really hoped that he would understand she didn't deserve to be brought over to Ashore simply to be killed and used. Alice looked around desperately through the fog, finding it to be much more limiting than she had initially given it credit for.

"W-wait… Papyrus… please… don't do this. It's… it's… unreasonable! What would Sans think?!" She pleaded as she tried to make sense of a way to get past Papyrus stealthily.

"... SANS… SANS WOULD BE PROUD OF ME! NOW ALICE, PREPARE YOURSELF! YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE NEWEST MEMBER… OF THE ROYAL GUARD!" Papyrus confirmed his resolution.

At that moment the mist almost magically disappeared in an instant, revealing the surroundings clearly. Papyrus was blocking the way and Alice identified him as someone who likes to say 'Nyeh heh heh' a lot. Alice felt so vulnerable and betrayed. She had to wonder if he didn't entirely understand what it meant to capture Alice? _True,_ Alice reasoned optimistically, _maybe he's been told capturing the human and bringing them to Asgore means something else._ Either way though, Alice was not feeling as DETERMINED as she had been when facing Toriel to leave the Ruins. There wasn't even a sign of any golden light around. It was as though the fact that Papyrus was going to try to capture her had stolen her of her confidence. Papyrus cackled and to Alice's surprise, three bones appeared to conjure out of the air and were flung towards her in a straight line. They were surprisingly big, up to Alice's waist, and stood tall like pillars. Alice was able to step out of the way in time however to easily avoid the bones.

"You monsters definitely seem to come up with your own creative styles of fighting. Perhaps you could give me some private lessons in how to do so?" Alice asked, rather charmed.

"W-WHAT?! PRIVATE LESSONS? AS IN… A DATE?! HOH… SO YOU REVEAL YOUR ULTIMATE FEELINGS AT LAST!" Papyrus seemed perplexed by Alice's question and tone.

"Ultimate… feelings? A date? Oh… do you mean like a very important date? Well I suppose we could reasonably have a date.. not that I'm unsure what this very important date would be." Alice pondered aloud.

Unfortunately, not being one who thought much of love, she didn't really understand at the moment what Papyrus had meant. Instead she recalled dreams of the White Rabbit sputtering that they were 'late for a very important date'. So 'date' to Alice meant some sort of meeting or a party or something generally less intimate than what Papyrus was thinking.

"I AM A SKELETON WITH VERY HIGH STANDARDS! PROVE TO ME YOU ARE WORTHY OF SUCH A DATE!" Papyrus demanded.

"Err… um… well I… did really want to try your spaghetti as I recall."

"OH NO! YOU'RE MEETING ALL MY STANDARDS! I GUESS THIS MEANS I HAVE TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOU…? LET'S DATE L-LATER! AFTER I CAPTURE YOU!" Papyrus stammered in a flustered way.

 _There won't be a chance to do that if I'm captured._ Alice had to accept that fact but right now she was doing fine in the battle. Another three bones in a line went avoided quite easily. It seemed Papyrus, true to his skeletal nature, was utilizing bones as his attacks. Papyrus appeared to be thinking hard about something so Alice took the time to try to persuade him.

"Papyrus, do you really need to capture me? I understand you have a dream to fulfill by capturing me but…" Alice couldn't think of what to say next without pushing it.

Papyrus seemed to be in his own little world though as he didn't seem to regard Alice's words as much as she had hoped.

"SO YOU WON'T FIGHT… THEN, LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN HANDLE MY FABLED 'BLUE ATTACK!' Papyrus commanded his bones to attack.

Alice gulped as this was the technique Sans had specifically warned her about. She stood perfectly still, trying not to let herself move an inch as a flurry of blue bones surged towards her like a stampede. They all passed quite harmlessly through her and gave Alice somewhat more confidence in her abilities. In fact it seemed a bit disappointing that such a fabled attack was so easy to avoid if you were aware of what 'blue' meant in the Underground. Alice was about to try reasoning with Papyrus again but then the most bizarre thing happened.

"A-ahh!" Alice shrieked as she suddenly felt an incredible force drag her down.

It was as if gravity itself had increased and Alice flopped to the ground rather roughly. The snow did help cushion her fall but Alice was finding it extremely difficult to move and there was a strange blue glow around her. Before Alice could start thinking about what this was all about, she felt something rather hard ram into her. She gasped in pain and cringed as she realized a bone had just pelted her while she had been down. That instantly proved it was Papyrus's doing but what he had done to her still seemed up in the air. Alice tried to get up to her feet but it was very difficult as gravity was still holding her down. As she managed to barely get onto her two feet, Papyrus said,

"YOU'RE BLUE NOW. THAT'S MY ATTACK! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

"That's… very innovative… ngh…" Alice moaned as the sensation of being 'blue' began to overwhelm her.

She was reduced to standing on her knees and hunching in this state. It didn't hurt but it felt as though she was undergoing some extreme pressure. Yet the worst part about all this was that Alice wasn't able to find the DETERMINATION she needed to help her. At the very least, it seemed her conflicting emotions and fear was hindering her ability to be determined. She felt as though she was utterly helpless to these upcoming attacks.

"HMM… I WONDER WHAT I SHOULD WEAR…" Papyrus thought aloud as more bones were sent towards Alice.

These bones appeared to be normal-colored like the one that had just hit her so Alice barely was able to fling herself out of their path and landed on the snow. It had took a lot of endurance just to act like this so Alice was feeling a bit frustrated.

"P-Papyrus…are you thinking about that important date?" Alice asked with a huff.

"WHAT?! ALICE DON'T BE SILLY! I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT THAT DATE THING!" Papyrus denied as he seemingly put some rather strong smelling fragrance behind his ear.

More bones were sent towards Alice and the little girl was already beginning to pant. They even seemed to be homing more towards her in addition to growing taller. Alice was able to avoid most of them but one did hit her and it hurt rather bad. _There's no end to this is there?_ Alice thought as she realized that the monsters did have a plentiful supply of magical power. After all, Toriel had conjured all those flames back in the ruins and surely could've conjured more if she had felt like it. Alice was quickly losing her stamina and continued to watch Papyrus ramble onward and put a number of different and quite mundane substances behind his ear,

"YEAH! DON'T MAKE ME USE MY SPECIAL ATTACK! I CAN ALMOST TASTE MY FUTURE POPULARITY! PAPYRUS, HEAD OF THE ROYAL GUARD!"

"B-but… Papyrus… do you really want to be a part of a guard that would hunt me down…?" A worn and somewhat hurt Alice asked.

The speed and number of bones was quickly getting to Alice, and having gravity drag her down so much left her even more vulnerable. She could roll or dodge out of the way but more bones would follow and strike her down.

"THEY ARE RESPECTED ALICE! POPULAR! ADMIRABLE! UNDYNE WOULD BE REALLY PROUD OF ME! THE KING WILL TRIM THE HEDGE IN THE SHAPE OF MY SMILE! MY BROTHER WILL… WELL, HE WON'T CHANGE VERY MUCH." Papyrus exclaimed happily before realizing he had no ears and feigning a gasp.

"Papyrus… that's- ungh! T-that's… the trouble… Asgore… do you know why he has the Royal Guard bring humans to him? Ahhhhh!" Alice was hit from behind and the front respectively.

She imagined if someone was watching this whole fiasco they would find the bones morphing out of thin air and performing an intricate dance. A bone would dash towards Alice from the front and another bone would dash towards Alice from the back, essentially closing in on her. Small bones yes, but very quick and eventually Alice was quite exhausted from ducking and rolling and flinging herself out of their paths. She was feeling weak and bruised in several places with her hair messier and her hairbow becoming crooked. If there had been any DETERMINATION it was transferred into essentially begging for Papyrus to stop. Fortunately, her question did seem to get Papyrus to become quiet.

"... A-ALICE… YOU DON'T NEED TO FEAR KING ASGORE… HE'S A BIG FUZZY PUSHOVER! HE'D GLADLY TAKE YOU TO THE BARRIER IF YOU'D ASK HIM! JUST SAY PLEASE AND THANK YOU." Papyrus spoke in such an innocent way that Alice was horrified.

"N-No… Papyrus… you don't understand at all... i-if… oof!" Alice took another hit and thumped face first into the snow.

"I'LL HAVE SO MANY ADMIRERS BUT I MUST SAY YOU SEEM TO FEEL SO STRONGLY TOWARDS ME ALICE… IT'S VERY RARE… AFTER YOU'RE CAPTURED AND SENT AWAY THOUGH… IT'D-"

"You'd never see me again…" Alice's voice was a hurt, fragile whisper.

"... W-WHAT? HUMAN… WHAT ARE YOU…?" Papyrus looked genuinely baffled by what Alice had said, with a hint of concern.

He had not been oblivious to any of Alice's statements. Papyrus was just so caught up in that wonderful, blissful vision of everything he would earn by capturing Alice and becoming a Royal Guardsman that he didn't really think she was this fragile. Alice had a few bruises on her from all the bone strikes and she was panting and on the verge of collapse. She also seemed really sad which was what worried Papyrus most. He tried thinking of all the ways that Alice could be this upset with him about. Was he too naive? Was it the things he tried putting behind his non-existent ear? Was it that he hadn't yet used his special attack? Had she wanted to see their house or say goodbye to Sans before she was captured? So many possibilities made Papyrus look to Alice with deep concern.

"Asgore… will… kill me… unh…" Alice, down to 1 HP, fainted to the snow.

"AGH! N-NO… OH ALICE… URM…" Papyrus stammered in shock and dismay as he scratched his head upon seeing the fallen maiden fade into unconsciousness.

When Alice came to, or perhaps seemingly came to as this surreal feeling felt strangely familiar, she found herself upon what was not snow but rather grass. It was very dark with a strange shade of moonlight that made everything seemed grim and haunting. The moon itself was… red? Furthermore, now that Alice thought about it, if they were underground how could there be a moon? The same reason that mouse monster from Snowdin had said there was no sunlight. _This must be a dream_ , Alice concluded with some regret. She recalled how bizarre the last dream she had in the Underground had been. Her seeing some parallel, murderous version of herself kill Toriel without remorse and claim that it was the only way to leave the Ruins. Alice had proven that dream's message wrong by comforting Toriel, showing her DETERMINATION, and left honorably. So the one immediate positive Alice drew upon this experience was that it served as a warning for what was ahead and allowed Alice to think up of countermeasures to whatever scenario the dream portrayed.

"... I suppose I best not keep this dream waiting then. I do hope it'll at least be more pleasant than the last one." Alice spoke hopefully to herself as she picked herself up from the grass and walked around.

She seemed to be in a wide open space with some trees scattered around, like the park she was beginning to miss more and more. But the whole atmosphere with its harsh red moon and overall lighting made it suggest this was not very family-oriented. In fact it started to remind Alice of a place that she had heard about though never precisely visited before. In fact, she was dreading the idea of visiting this place that she was thinking about in the future. That's when some figures finally came into view for Alice. Alice noticed there was three figures, two on the ground and one standing. The two figures on the ground were shaped like some type of stone or tablet like that of an ancient ruin. The figure standing was…

"...! T-that's me…! Or the other me…" Alice gasped.

Indeed, the platinum blonde locks, the lavender dress, the grey ribbon, and newly-discovered grey stockings and white mary-janes belonged to this figure. She looked like Alice in almost every way but was dustier and paler. This 'Alice' was also in a sense more regal and other-worldly. Interestingly enough, it did not appear as anyone was with her and she was holding something with both her arms but Alice couldn't see what it was as once again, the mysterious 'Alice' was facing Alice. Alice didn't want to approach 'Alice' at all. It could not be forgotten that 'Alice' was dusty from all the monsters they killed. Alice pondered if she had the means to stop or even confront 'Alice' but then they spoke,

"I'll almost be home soon… you'll be able to rest in peace when I finally return. I've certainly made a lot of memories here and have so much to tell you…"

Alice broke out in a cold sweat. 'Alice' sounded genuine and a lot more like the real one this time around than in the other dream where she had sounded menacing and had made challenging statements in a frightful tone. This time though she sounded somewhat hopeful, if melancholy and slightly in denial of their implied actions. The darkest part of what actually was a rather beautiful statement from this 'Alice' was that she said 'rest in peace'. That always referred to a GRAVEYARD. A resting place. That she was saying this to people who had died. Alice gulped and tried to silence her echoing curiousity, waiting to see what 'Alice' would do next. They seemed to set set something down between both the figures on the ground, which Alice could now identify as tombstones. Then 'Alice' tilted her head up to the sky and laughed… a rather bitter and low chuckle, not a psychotic sound but a very despairing sound. She then walked away and Alice could finally make out what had been laid down there.

"It's… a bouquet of roses… white roses…" Alice gasped as she unconsciously put her hands to her mouth in shock.

Roses held a special pedestal in Alice's Wonderland. There were trees lavished with beautiful red roses in the name and honor of the volatile Queen of Hearts. However, she had once imagined a scenario where by accident, the queen's card soldiers had planted white roses by mistake. The part that they all dreaded, was that for this costly mistake they would be beheaded. So Alice had to briefly wonder why 'Alice' chose to set a bouquet of pure and pretty white roses rather than rich and often very provocative red roses. White was a color of purity and sacrifice, the color of winter's first snow, and in some cultures a color of mourning. Alice felt that here it was indeed being used as a color of mourning. With 'Alice' away, this left Alice with the freedom to investigate more closely.

"I can't bear to think of who has died here…" Alice said, deeply afraid of what awaited her.

She walked quietly and approached the tombstones with a subtle grace that she always seemed to have. There were indeed two tombstones but one was rather big compared to the other one. Neither of them were marked with any sort of engraving, perhaps some strange rule of the dream, and so Alice frowned at not knowing who was buried here. She then looked to the bouquet of beautiful roses. There did seem to be a tag attached to it which was both a sign of proper gifting and a sign of an inevitable horrible truth. Alice looked around for any sign of another tombstone or a person but her eyes could not find anyone or anything else. So with a heavy sigh, Alice looked at the tag.

"From down the rabbit hole, I hope you rest in peace from up above…" Alice read some of it but then when she looked at the rest she choked.

She started crying, she looked at the tag in horror, her hands trembled. Her world was slowly but surely beginning to fall apart.

"S-sister… D-D… Dinah..! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Alice wailed in despair.

That was the first thing she had feared when she had heard she was in the future. She had been living on the eve of a new century and now it appeared she was in the century after that. No reasonable person Alice knew could live over a century and unfortunately no cat either. Perhaps some people could live to be over 100 but Alice's sister had already spent a number of years in her life compared to Alice. So in horror, the cruel truth that Dinah and her sister had passed away was revealed to Alice. They had probably died a long time ago and what was worse was what it meant. It meant that Alice truly had disappeared that day and that Dinah and her sister were probably looking frantically for Alice that whole day, the next week, and for the rest of their lives. That in itself was a far worse torture than being hunted down for your soul. How could they ever know that Alice had fallen into the Underground? Nobody knew she was here and it was all because Alice hadn't listened earlier. Or perhaps it was that when she first saw Chara, she wasn't going to listen to anything else but her curiousity.

"Uu... hnn… oh Dinah…" Alice pulled out her cloth and quickly began dabbing her eyes as she sobbed.

It was too hard and too impossible for a girl at Alice's age and mindset to simply say good-bye to the closest figures in their lives. So in this very inhuman world, Alice did a very human action: She mourned. The hardest part about accepting this was that Alice had said goodbye in her own way to Dinah as she tumbled down. However, her sister didn't have the blessing of Alice's final goodbye. She had been teaching Alice valuable history lessons and then Alice decided to wander off with Dinah in hand and thus it became the last moment shared between sisters. Now she had no one, she was all alone. Left to be eventually hunted down by Asgore and slain. It seemed foolish to think about how she would be slain so Alice didn't. She continued to mourn for all that she had being lost to her forever. She likely would've continued to mourn until this dream's end but then something unusual happened. It was almost instantaneous but at that moment, Alice felt as though there was another presence.

"... O-Oh!" Alice gasped when she turned to her right and saw a very familiar face.

Sans was standing there, overlooking a new tombstone that Alice knew had not been there before. Both he and the tombstone seemed to have magically appeared at once. Alice was at first honestly relieved to see Sans though also feeling slightly ashamed knowing how dreadful her encounter with Papyrus had been. However, when she looked at Sans closer, there was something different about him. First he appeared to be wearing something new on his usual outfit. It looked like… a red… scarf... Alice was suddenly feeling very scared and tense. That was no doubt Papyrus's but the question is why was Sans wearing it? She felt as though that Sans and Papyrus weren't the type of brothers to simply share clothes with one another regularly. Also his expression…

"papyrus…" A groaning voice of despair perfectly reflected it.

He had no pupils at all, just two caverns of darkness fitting for a skull. What he said was heartbreaking as it almost seemed to confirm the identity of the tombstone he was standing over immediately. Alice wasn't sure what to say for she had no idea how this came to be. After all, she had just seen Papyrus and had been defeated by him. There was no way for her to commit the murder of Papyrus and while she felt heavily betrayed by him, she couldn't have done it. Furthermore, and it was rather sad this wasn't the first thing that came to mind, she was in a dream. _Then again by that same reasoning,_ Alice thought, _could it be true that Dinah and my sister are still alive?_ That seemed unlikely even though Alice so desperately wanted to deny it. Toriel's dream had some truth to it, as though it had portrayed a future scenario. So here… it could very well mean that certain details like the deceased were true. Papyrus's death on the other hand wasn't true so that made Alice assume that part of the dream was another prediction.

"w-well… I brought you some dinner… it's not as good as yours were but… i tried. it's my special recipe. bone appetit! heh…" Sans, clearly trying to sound as upbeat as he could for Papyrus's spirit, set down a bowl of spaghetti in front of the tombstone.

Alice wondered what she would have in front of her tombstone as offerings from people. Probably some picture books, maybe some freshly-brewed tea, a drink that said 'drink me' or a cake that said 'eat me', and generally things that would probably reflect Alice's imagination and interests. Alice was already wishing she was back into reality as this dream seemed too painful to continue but she was afraid of approaching Sans. She remembered how incredibly intimidating he had been when Alice had insulted Papyrus. What if she angered him by interrupting this moment he was having in front of his brother's grave? That was too risky to try so Alice tried to stay quiet. Then she heard a strange voice that somehow sounded familiar,

"If a human ever goes through this door... could you please promise me something? watch over them, and protect them, will you not?"

" i hate making promises… and look at how that human turned out, slaughtering monsters left and right and now papyrus. IT'S TOO MUCH." Sans growled defiantly at the words that had seemingly been spoken out of thin air.

Alice looked around and saw that there was no one else around, much less 'Alice' coming back. It really did appear as though some omniscient presence had spoken these words to Sans. The purpose for such words was definitely intriguing to Alice. It seemed as though Sans had been told these words before and made a promise to someone… through the door. Alice gasped as she realized exactly who it was that was speaking to Sans. _It has to be Toriel,_ Alice thought. There was something strange about it that fact though. Sans clearly seemed capable of doing that, of protecting a human, so why had Toriel still hesitated to let Alice go? Truthfully Alice didn't know when that promise had been made but it still seemed strange that Toriel didn't trust Sans enough as a protector to let a human go into the Underground. Or maybe she had been so disheartened by the previous deaths and Alice's eagerness at the time that she didn't want to take any chances. Either way, it was clear Sans was not happy about this promise anymore.

"If a human ever goes through this door... could you please promise me something? watch over them, and protect them, will you not?" Toriel's voice echoed the same request as before.

"i-i don't want to… not anymore… i could've saved him if i hadn't made that promise…" Sans's pupils returned to his eyes but it was clear that he was only more distressed by this.

"If a human ever goes through this door... could you please promise me something? watch over them, and protect them, will you not?" A third repetition.

"There must be some meaning behind this…" Alice said to herself, having stopped crying by now and wondering what to do about all this.

As she saw Sans grasp his head with his hands and looking fragile, she began to count the amount of times that Toriel's voice would continue to ask this question from Sans. So far it had been stated three times. Three was a significantly magical number in life but Alice had a hunch it would repeat more times.

"If a human ever goes through this door... could you please promise me something? watch over them, and protect them, will you not?" A fourth repetition.

"p-please don't ask anymore… yo-you respected me so that's why i agreed… b-but… this promise… KILLED EVERYONE!" Sans bellowed angrily at no one in particular.

"If a human ever goes through this door... could you please promise me something? watch over them, and protect them, will you not?" This fifth question sounded significantly quieter than the previous four.

"NEVER AGAIN! s-so… stop!"

"If a human ever goes through this door... could you please promise me something? watch over them, and protect them, will you not?"

"GRARHHHHHHHHHHHHHhHHHHNGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" A primal roar from Sans and then there was silence.

Alice had counted six times and while six was certainly a fairly odd number there was an instance of six being significant down in the Underground. There were six human souls that Asgore had come into possession of. Thus it seemed Toriel was almost scolding Sans for the six human souls that hadn't been protected by him. Which seemed unnecessarily cruel given that Papyrus had died but Alice had to remember this was a dream and seemingly a dream that was trying to break her will. She regrettably had to admit it was working to some extent. It certainly seemed to breaking Sans' will as he was hunched over, tears plummeting onto the spaghetti, and looked absolutely crushed. Alice wasn't sure what to say or do as the dream didn't appear to be ending and she was afraid of infuriating Sans. She decided though that maybe it would be best to end this dream in some fashion and so she spoke to Sans hesitantly,

"S-Sans… it's ok… I-I mean this isn't real… everyone's-"

"going to die. not if I stop you though." Sans finished his statement almost as though the sound of Alice's voice awakened hidden emotions within him.

"...! Wait!" Alice suddenly felt extremely terrified and held her hands out as though trying to pacify.

Sans stood tall and then turned to Alice with a menacing, heartless glare. The left eye was hollow but the right eye appeared to be glowing with blue fire. There was no calm before the storm, there was a storm brewing right in front of Alice. He looked cold and menacing and Alice was absolutely petrified. She quickly began begging for her life,

"Sans, WAIT! I-I would never kill Papyrus! H-he's been such a gentlemen in his own way. B-besides, he defeated me! I lost fair and square."

"He died you know? I found his scarf lying on the snow… WHY SHOULD I SPARE SOMEONE WHO WOULDN'T EVEN SPARE MY BROTHER WHO WAS SO KIND TOWARDS YOU?!" Sans demanded furiously.

"H-he was going to capture me and bring me to Asgore! I was going to DIE!" Alice replied as her emotions got the best of her.

Sans looked to Alice for a few tense moments, a staredown unlike anything Alice had experienced, then looked way with a gruff 'tsk'. Alice wasn't sure what this meant but what she couldn't see was that there was a bone floating behind her that was glowing with blue energy. It was a silencer, an act of revenge, and what it would take to finally break a promise. Alice didn't know this of course and in a sense it was better that way. That way when she returned to reality, she wouldn't remember what ended the dream.

"Listen… Sans… I've lost my family too… my sister… Dinah… t-they're all gone… but I-"

"kid… not another word…"

BASH! At that point Sans didn't want to hear more from the killer, the little girl who took away his brother from her, the brat who epitomized the regret he had for accepting such a promise. So with a simple hand gesture that indicated 'come towards me', the bone was flung towards Alice's head. In a matter of moments, Alice's right side of her head was smashed and red paint fell onto the white roses lying at the tombstones of Dinah and her sister. Painting the roses red so no one would lose their head. Alice vaguely understood what was happening when she suddenly felt a sharp pain and then numbness throughout her body. In a sense she was relieved, this meant the dream would end. But in another sense, she felt great pain in not only that she was being killed after seeing the ones she loved most dead, but that this dream held some truth to the future. Papyrus was dead, it seemed Sans was very willing to kill Alice if not for a promise, and worst of all… Dinah and her sister were long gone. It was about the time Alice's corpse hit the ground, life drained out of her and white roses painted red, that Alice finally woke up.

"Hah..!" Alice gasped as opposed to a scream when she awoke.

Perhaps it was an unconscious desire to not alert or alarm anyone who might be with her. Or perhaps it was that the dream took out any energy Alice had to scream in genuine defiance or shock. Or it may have simply just been wanting to be a bit more refined. Either way Alice found herself in what appeared to be some kind of shed. There was a bone-shaped squeaky toy, a dog bowl filled with dried food, a bed that looked too small to sleep on, and some sort of note. There were also a set of crude wooden bars that actually looked big enough for Alice to slip through. Normally Alice would've been extremely relieved that it was easy to escape but after that dream, and the knowledge of being beaten so easily by Papyrus, she was still rather unnerved. After all, it was clear Papyrus was intent on capturing her no matter what. Then eventually she would be brought over to Asgore and…

"Why do I always end up in these dire situations?" Alice asked herself moodily.

Alice picked up the note and read it for the sake of clarity. 'SORRY, I HAVE TO LOCK YOU IN THE GUEST ROOM UNTIL UNDYNE ARRIVES. FEEL FREE TO MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME! REFRESHMENT AND ACCOMMODATIONS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED. -NYEHFULLY YOURS, PAPYRUS'

"Up to his usual nonsense then…" Alice sighed as she crumpled up the note and hurled it at the bars defiantly.

It was true, the Royal Guardswoman Undyne would be coming to apprehend her and bring her to Asgore. Trying to hide in Snowdin probably would not work, even if she tried the tunnels, as Papyrus and Undyne would look all over for her. It was a rather hopeless predicament for her and yet the dream seemed to imply she could move forward by killing Papyrus which was equally hopeless. Then there was what she learned about Sans which scared her even more from killing Papyrus. Sans had promised Toriel not to harm any human who passed through the door but was perfectly willing to break that promise should any harm befall his brother. Alice couldn't blame Sans for acting that way. If someone were to harm someone she loved in front of her and Alice had what it took to do something about it, she'd take that chance in a heartbeat. Or would that go against Toriel's ideals in a way? _Probably…_ Alice thought as she was mentally drained and exhausted. She didn't know what to do anymore or how to continue her journey. Someone else, however, knew how the journey should be continued. Having watched Alice with disdain for a long time, they were ready to shake up the Underground and make good use of this pitiful pawn.

"A bit of advice Alice," A familiar, cold tone echoed in the guest room.

Alice cringed as she recognized that voice instantly but she was sure there was no one else in the guest room. In fact, this voice symbolized one of two things. One, an opportunity to solve this doomed dilemma or two, trouble. Possibly even both knowing Chara. Alice instinctively turned around to see Chara flying towards her with their arms outstretched. It was as if they were some kind of panther trying to secure its prey. Alice was too exhausted to be terrified of this display and yet she knew enough to know this was not to her favor. In Chara's perspective, this was their last chance to get Alice to follow the road they wanted her to. She had clearly been too passive and too innocent to harm anyone. So instead they were resorting to a more terrifying technique.

"...when Papyrus makes you blue, you jump over the bones. That's the trick." Chara finished their statement as they seemingly entered Alice's body like a ghost.

Alice then felt a sensation that felt as curious as shrinking or growing but also as numb as the last moments she had in the dream. She felt like she was asleep yet she still could see what was in front of her, smell different scents, and hear voices. But she had no control over her movements as when she tried to speak, she couldn't and when she tried to move, she stayed put. Instead it seemed as though she was being puppeteered by some arcane force for her body moved without Alice directing it to. Even her mind seemed clouded in very negative, dark thoughts. _Where am I…?_ She asked herself. To her horror someone answered her in her head, a place that was normally reserved for her alone. _You're in the back seat,_ said Chara, and now _it's time to drive them all down._

"It's been too long…" Chara said using Alice's body, wearing a twisted grin that morphed her features into something terrible.

Then to Alice's amazement, golden light appeared to metamorphosis around Alice's right hand and became a warrior's blade. Firmly grasping it, somehow Alice knew what sort of blade it was… a Vorpal Blade. Compared to the last time her DETERMINATION manifested, there was something different about the golden sheen of the conjured weapon. As though it was fool's gold or darker than regular gold. It wasn't even something peaceful like the White Rabbit or the tears, but a true weapon. What was worse is that Alice had not done that out of her own free will, Chara acting as Alice had done that. It seemed they were familiar with wiedling DETERMINATION as a weapon. However whereas Alice had used it to pacify and bring a peaceful solution… Chara was no doubt going to use it to cause harm. _No..._

"Now… let's break the Great Papyrus to dust together, shall we?" Chara spoke malevolently as Alice.

To Be Continued...


	11. The Story of the Curious Friends

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 10 The Story of the Curious Friends

Regardless of whether or not she couldn't speak or move, Alice knew she had to do something. Otherwise Chara was going to do unspeakable things using her image. The worst of which was probably going to be what Chara was intent on doing first: Killing Papyrus. _Chara, what is the meaning of this? How did you do this?_ Alice asked Chara, only able to communicate by using her thoughts. It sounded like a very peculiar thing when described, almost like a psychic ability, but it felt strangely natural to Alice. Chara, who was currently flexing their borrowed fingers, replied out loud to her,

"Let's just say that I'm not the same person I was before I came into the Underground. I take DETERMINATION and use it wisely. As for why? Well, I'm surprised you didn't see this coming, considering how utterly weak, naive, and pitiful you've been acting. Not even bothering to kill a single monster and letting yourself get pummeled by a weakling like Papyrus? Disappointing. I had to take over."

 _Don't you dare call Papyrus a weakling! He was able to defeat me fair and square! And I'm simply following the advice Toriel gave me. It seems as though you won't listen to any advice!_ Alice scolded Chara.

"Oh but he is weak. For starters, none of his puzzles were any fun to solve right? Most of them being too easy or having no point to them. Then you lose to him and if he really wanted to capture you, he wouldn't have brought you here. The reason he didn't drag you to Undyne himself is because he's too nice Alice. Papyrus wants a friend from the bottom of his misguided heart. That's why he's neither a Royal Guardsman or a being who could survive this 'kill or be killed' world." Chara replied as they got through the bars quite easily.

 _H-how can you say that so confidently? Don't you care about this world? Or do you miss the human world that much that you've simply neglected the citizens and life of the Underground?_

"... Neither world is worth living Alice. I hated the human world. The only thing worth living there was that there was family around and even then sometimes they broke you down. Here, there's a king willing to slaughter your kind just to break out of here. There are monsters who are strange, can't be comprehended, secrets and conspiracies, DETERMINATION, and the land itself was completely boring and small. The only good thing here is that there's incredible power to be found and the way to get it is relatively easy. With that power I can change the world the way I see fit." Chara replied with a hint of dejection.

Chara sounded completely psychotic in their words but yet they also seemed resolute in their statement. It was as if they had a lifetime of personal experience and wisdom to back up their statements which drew Alice's curiousity. It was also a stark contrast to how somewhat supportive Chara had been when they met in the Ruins. Granted they were still cold, clearly intent on resorting to dangerous measures, and intimidating but there was somewhat of a ranting anger and impatience this time around. They were clearly desperate to see something die which could potentially be an advantage Alice could use. _Chara, may I ask why you hated the human world? Granted humanity will most likely never be perfect but life there is, well, the only life we have. It's quite worth it in my book._ Alice spoke again to Chara who had by now adjusted to Alice's body.

"True… you live in an idyllic, fairy-tale time so you probably don't know anything about what horrors come next for humanity. Wars that span across the world destroying millions, scandals and corruption, destruction of places that ignite even more wars, hypocrisy and greed, cruelty unlike anything the world has ever seen, and even when I last saw humanity… the environment was far filthier than your time. There were also weapons that would make the magic down here look like mere toys and suffering in the forms of hunger, poverty, and despair. Humans are irredeemable Alice. You read about it right? Their SOULS, especially now, lack love, hope, and compassion. Not that those three things are anything to care about in the first place. Humanity's a much darker place now than it was in your time and that's why I cannot tolerate it. It needs to change." Chara replied as they exited the shed and headed towards where Papyrus was waiting.

They held the Vorpal Blade behind their back, obviously to conceal it from anyone looking from the front. Alice had to confess she was definitely very startled and even a bit horrified to hear what Chara had just described. It sounded as though times became very violent for humanity and injustices and nightmarish acts were committed. Why it sounded like a more dangerous world to live in than the Underground from what Chara described. The idea of weapons more powerful than magic itself and that there was devastating destruction that brought despair to the people of the world sounded awful. It also made Alice feel worse about Dinah and her sister, left to fare such a fatal future alone and heartbroken. Yet Alice knew that Chara was trying to bend her opinion and if there was one thing Alice would not allow to be manipulated, it was her opinions.

 _I… I see… that really does sound quite awful… but… i disagree with you about hope, love, and compassion. Those are things that have guided humanity through the past, the present, and into the future. Those qualities cannot so easily be broken or taken for granted. Why I have hope in the Underground, love for those who've supported me and taught me new things, and compassion to help the monsters be free again. Those are things I care about and even cherish._ Alice remained optimistic in her words as after all, there was one thing that proved there were also good things about the future.

"That's just you though, the monsters here are even losing those traits after so many years of imprisonment. Granted you being here brings them hope but only because they are hoping for your death. See why this world is kill or be killed? Their happiness stands firmly in the way of your happiness, only for them there's no worries about if you die. Your death is necessary for their happiness while yours depends on whether you live long enough to attain it. You have to fight for your happiness more than ever, so that's why you have to kill. Hope, love, and compassion don't mean anything then." Chara sounded significantly calmer after seemingly venting out their sheer intolerance for humanity.

 _Perhaps, but there's always another way to find happiness, and more information that remains to be found. Toriel didn't kill me right? She wanted to protect me and even now, like you said, Papyrus could've taken me to Asgore or Undyne by now but chose not to. That shows there are other forms of happiness for these monsters and that they aren't all out to get me. He trusts me as a person and as a friend and I shan't repay that kindness by allowing you to kill him! Furthermore, maybe what you said about humanity becoming more violent and destructive has some truth to it but there's also good that comes in the future. More equality and acceptance of different kinds of people and ways of living. That in itself sounds like an accomplishment that anybody would look forward to in the future! So until I see the new world for myself, I will not think hatefully about the future like you have and give both it and the Underground a chance!_ Alice gave an empowered speech that seemed worthy of a queen.

"... So you're determined to die then? Well it's your choice… or at least was. Now that I'm in control the only things that will die are those that cross our path. What I can give you credit for is that you are very smart for your age Alice. You can speak up for yourself. It's your curiousity and desire to prove yourself that brings you down. You can't even kill anyone because you're too busy trying to find out everything about them. Who needs to find out about things that will die in an instant?" Chara asked Alice, imposing a challenge to her.

Alice was hurt and would've whimpered if she could after hearing that, but now that she had declared her faith in the Underground she wasn't going to back down. She was trying to find the DETERMINATION from within to defy Chara and regain control of her body. So far she had a strong start but she was missing something, some component emotion or cause that could really bolster her to the radiance she displayed when encountering Toriel. When she had faced Toriel, she had been determined to earn her freedom to explore the Underground and show her will to survive. Right now she had the desire to save Papyrus but she needed something else that would allow her to channel that golden light again.

"Well… there he is again. Wonder what he'll say this time around." Chara chuckled mischievously.

Indeed, down the fogless path in the same spot where he had stood previously was Papyrus. It was almost choreographed in a sense that he would be standing there waiting for Alice to show up again. What he didn't know was that Chara was currently in Alice's place and they were wielding the Vorpal Blade which was intent on ending him. Naturally such information made Alice very worried and distressed that Papyrus was an open target. However she did notice something about Papyrus's expression that looked… concerned. In fact he appeared relieved to see Alice, like he had been desperate to talk to her. Sure enough, Papyrus began to speak to Chara,

"OH ALICE! HUMAN… IT DOES SEEM AS THOUGH WE ARE BOUND TOGETHER! TWO BONES IN THE ANATOMY OF FATE! BUT… I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL LOST… AT WHAT YOU SAID… ALICE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY I'D NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN?"

Chara clearly looked surprised as this and grimaced. They hadn't expected to be questioned by Papyrus about things Alice said previously. _Give me something to say Alice or I'll just go and kill him right now,_ they spoke to Alice in her head. Alice felt a bit better in amusement at Chara being caught off-guard by Papyrus but still had to obey their request.

"King Asgore needs my soul to break the barrier. So to get to my soul they would have to kill me." Chara said, trying their best to mimic Alice's posture and expression to not give themselves away.

"T-THAT'S… I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY UNDYNE HUMANS WERE CONNECTED TO THE BARRIER AND THAT THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT'S CREATION… BUT… KILLING A HUMAN LIKE YOU IS OUT OF THE QUESTION! YOU HAVE SO MUCH POTENTIAL TO LIVE AND YOU LIKE PUZZLES AND RIDDLES! I-IF I WAS TO KILL YOU… I'D FEEL HEARTBROKEN AND LIKE I WAS GOING DOWN A DANGEROUS PATH. SO… I'M SORRY. I'M GOING TO SPARE YOU FROM THAT." Papyrus apologized sincerely and clasped his hands together as he articulated his message.

"..." Chara didn't say anything and instead approached Papyrus with strangely hesitant steps.

It seemed as though something about Papyrus's words did get to Chara in some way though Alice wasn't sure how or why. There was a mix of anger in their steps but also some doubt, like they had just found out something about Papyrus that they never known. As for Alice herself… she was extremely touched. Papyrus clearly had listened and cared about her when they had fought. He wasn't liking the idea of sending her to her death anymore and wanted her to live which was something that felt so comforting in this new world to hear. It was though she really could change a monster's outlook by being a pacifist. However, Chara's movements frightened her and made her realize how little time she had to stop them from killing Papyrus and causing a downward spiral. She thought of all the things that could make her determined when suddenly Papyrus spoke again.

"I SEE YOU ARE APPROACHING. ARE YOU OFFERING A HUG OF FORGIVENESS AND ACCEPTANCE? I KNOW I HAVE DONE SOMETHING NEAR DISASTROUS FOR MY INTEGRITY AND HURT YOU. BUT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, APPRECIATE YOUR OFFER. I SHALL WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS! AFTER ALL, I… I THINK OF YOU AS A FRIEND… AND WE WERE SCHEDULED TO HAVE A DATE. I DON'T WANT TO MISS OUT ON THE CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW YOU AND SPEND MORE TIME TOGETHER… FRIEND." Papyrus held his arms out like he said and gave an endearing smile.

Alice felt something click inside of her and if she was in control of her body, would've been moved to tears. Papyrus thought of her as a friend, HIS friend, and seeing how he wanted friends more than anything, his first real friend. In a sense, Papyrus was also Alice's first real friend here in the Underground. She couldn't see Toriel anymore, the Ruins were sealed away, and only Sans and Papyrus had really made the effort to get to know her once she exited the Ruins. Papyrus now here was actively expressing that he saw Alice as a friend and that she could trust him. After that nightmare that revealed how alone Alice had become without Dinah and her sister around anymore… this felt like the thing she needed most. To know she wasn't alone. That was something to have DETERMINATION for to protect and to cherish. Alice felt a hope and a sensation of power rise within her and it seemed as though Chara recognized it too. Chara looked to Papyrus, grinned unpleasantly, and revealed the Vorpal Blade as they assumed a warrior stance.

"FOOL, who'd ever spend time with the likes of you?! Someone who dies at every given opportunity?!" Chara taunted defiantly as they held the sword high like an executioner.

Papyrus, beyond all expectation, didn't even flinch when he saw the blade but rather resumed smiling bravely and held his arms out openly. That was how much he believed in Alice, and that belief was what finally allowed Alice to find her DETERMINATION. _NO MORE!_ However it appeared as though another voice inside Alice's head joined in as she unleashed this battle cry. It was not her own voice but rather a mysterious, gender-neutral voice. It appeared as though even her own DETERMINATION itself was granted a voice. Alice was surprised but she didn't let it distract her from using it to save Papyrus.

"...?! WHAT?!" Chara screeched as they felt their arms being restrained from swinging the Vorpal Blade down on Papyrus's head.

On either side of Chara, each of them grabbing a respective arm to keep Chara restrained, were two figures composed of golden light. They appeared to be two fat boys in schoolboy uniforms with shoes and propellor hats adorned with flagpoles and flags. To the left was Tweedle-Dee and to the right was Tweedle-Dum. Brothers like Papyrus and Sans with a love of games and telling stories. Here, they were determined to protect Papyrus who loved games and telling stories just as much as they did. So they stopped Chara who was posing as Alice and kept them from swinging the Vorpal Blade. Papyrus seemed dazzled by the technique and slightly moved back but still gave a welcoming stance towards Chara. Such honesty was admirable and it infuriated Chara that they couldn't erase it.

"R-release me now… if I fail… there'll be no more chances for me…!" Chara growled with desperation.

 _Giving me advice is fine but what I will not condone is a hostile takeover of my identity Chara. Perhaps you have endured the worst of humanity and that has warped your opinion of it but you cannot force it upon me. I apologize for whatever you went through but not for what you are trying to do to these innocents. You will not harm anyone and no longer cause despair as long as I'm in this world of my own. BEGONE!_ Alice asserted knowledge of herself and control over her mind as DETERMINATION surged throughout her body. Chara felt their presence within Alice's mind be overcome and shut out entirely. Thus, with a flash of brilliant golden light emitting from Alice, Chara was expelled from her body violently and hurled upon the snowy ground as Alice suddenly felt in control again. She gasped and began to breathe again and the Vorpal Blade disappeared at once.

"Hah… ah… hah…" She panted, tired from the strong effort.

Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum released her and stood away from her as Alice fell to her knees to regain her stamina. Papyrus beared witness to the whole thing but didn't detect Chara whatsoever as he had been most concerned for Alice. Chara instinctively disappeared from where they were lying on the snow, clearly incapable of doing anything more for the time being. It had been a true victory for Alice and a sign that she had mastered her DETERMINATION. Still concerned, Papyrus spoke to Alice from where he was,

"ALICE? A-ARE YOU OK?!"

"... Hee… w-well I must say that… I feel proud…" Alice chuckled as tears of joy fell down her cheeks.

"ARE YOU HURT ANYWHERE?"

"On the contrary… I feel better than I've ever been since I arrived here. I have a friend now and I am in control of my destiny. Love, hope, and compassion… that is what I'm feeling the most." Alice raised her head and faced Papyrus with a beaming smile.

"O-OH… A-ALICE… I'M SO PROUD I COULD CRY! YOU DIDN'T DO A VIOLENCE A-AND… YOU REALLY WANT ME AS A FRIEND…?! THE GREAT PAPYRUS?!" Papyrus also appeared just as touched and teary eyed

"Well certainly. I think of you as a perfectly wonderful individual and a great friend. You've done so much for me that I didn't even realize initially and you wanted me to live Papyrus. That is something I am ever grateful towards." Alice got up and curtsied elegantly as she spoke.

"... THANK YOU." Papyrus said honestly as he shed a tear.

With that, Alice ran over and hugged Papyrus gleefully as Papyrus wrapped the little girl in his arms. Two friends had survived an ordeal that would determine the fate of their friendship and the fate of whether or not they would be allowed to live. Now they were able to move forward with their bond and enjoy life to its fullest. Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum gave each other a hi-five before they disappeared, their mission complete. Papyrus and Alice remained hugging for several minutes, each of them enjoying the comfort being provided by the other's warmth. It was noticeably getting darker outside, for the day had been very long from the moment Alice left the Ruins so Alice parted away to ask,

"Um Papyrus, if you don't mind such an impertinent demand, could I please stay the night at your place? I'm very tired from all that has happened today and it is dark outside."

"HMM? WOWIE! HOW FORWARD! WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD OUR FIRST DATE AND YOU ALREADY WISH TO COME TO MY HOUSE! WHO KNEW ALL I HAD TO DO TO MAKE PALS… WAS TO GIVE PEOPLE AWFUL PUZZLES AND THEN FIGHT THEM?"

"Well they weren't that awful. I quite enjoyed some of them and it was an enlightening experience." Alice replied with a giggle.

"YOU ARE SO SWEET IT GIVES ME CAVITIES! OH ALICE, YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO STAY AT OUR PLACE AND YOU MAY ALSO PASS THROUGH THIS PATH WHENEVER YOU ARE READY. I'LL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT WHAT LIES AHEAD WHEN THE TIME COMES! FOR NOW, WE'RE OFF TO SEE MY BROTHER. I HOPE HE'S NOT BEING TOO LAZY…" Papyrus announced with some worry.

"Perhaps I could help encourage him to show some more conviction if he is being lazy?" Alice asked earnestly.

"THAT'D BE FANTASTIC!" Papyrus replied, clapping his hands giddily.

As the two continued making idle chatter, they set back towards Snowdin. Alice felt so released from all the pressures and fear she had been having and Papyrus felt so thrilled to have someone to talk to and a real friend. The two of them approached the mysterious yet beautiful house with the balcony that Alice saw before. Knowing that Papyrus was leading the way this could only mean one thing. Alice looked to Papyrus and said,

"So then this is truly your house Papyrus? I think it looks amazing! I love how you have a balcony!"

"W-WELL… UNFORTUNATELY NEITHER I OR SANS CAN ACCESS THAT BALCONY. TRULY AN OVERSIGHT MADE DURING CONSTRUCTION BUT YES! WELCOME TO CASA DE PAPYRUS AND SANS! Papyrus announced with a flamboyant arm gesture.

"Well I think I'm going to like it here and I am very excited to see what the interior looks like. Do monsters do their own interior decorating?" Alice inquired.

"OF COURSE. WELL I MOSTLY HANDLE THE HOUSEWORK. SANS… LAYS ABOUT AND MAKES PUNS MOST OF THE DAY. HE ALSO LOVES TO LEAVE STUFF AROUND THE HOUSE! BUT ANYWAYS, COME IN." Papyrus said as he opened the door and guided Alice inside.

Stepping forth into the house of two living and magical skeletons was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity and Alice was simply dazzled by what she saw. A beautiful blue and purple zig-zag carpet, a desk with what appeared to be some sort of strange rectangular device on it, a green sofa, a table with a red book on it, a stairway, a kitchen, and a big desk with what appeared to be a plate with a rock covered in sprinkles on top of it. Alice was especially fascinated by the strange rectangular device as she had no idea what it was though the rock seemed interesting too. Overall, it was a very cozy-looking place to live and Alice was relieved to be staying here.

"This is a wonderful place. But may I ask about a few things if I can?" Alice asked politely.

"CERTAINLY. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL EXPLAIN ALL!" Papyrus seemed up for the challenge.

"Why is there a rock with sprinkles on it?"

"THIS IS MY BROTHER'S PET ROCK. HE ALWAYS FORGETS TO FEED IT. AS USUAL, I HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY." Grunted Papyrus.

"Oh I've heard of that. People using their imagination to have rocks as pets. Never thought of Sans to be that type. Does he have friends?" Alice asked.

"I THINK SO… HE'S VERY POPULAR AT GRILLBY'S AND HE MEETS A LOT OF PEOPLE AS A SENTRY… THEN AGAIN WITH THE WAY HE TAKES NAPS I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF HE NAPS THROUGH A CONVERSATION. THAT DOESN'T TEND TO GO WELL…" Papyrus seemed to be giving a deep insight.

"He really is quite lax. I think he's got wonderful manners though… so what exactly is this device?" Alice asked pointing to the rectangular machine.

"WHY ALICE! YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN A TELEVISION BEFORE?! DID YOU SURVIVE ON IMAGINATION ALONE?!" Papyrus gasped, putting his hands to his face.

"Television? Hmm… that does sound curious. What is it?" Alice asked.

"WELL IT PLAYS ALL SORTS OF PRE-RECORDED SHOWS AND MOVIES. EVERYTHING FROM TEAR-JERKING DRAMAS TO MY FAVORITE GAME-SHOW! WANT TO SEE?"

"Well I suppose there's no harm in trying something new." Alice said as she pushed a button on the television.

In a flash, the screen of the television turned on in a bright flash of light and a scene played out as though it was happening in real time right in front of Alice. It did appear to be some sort of contest going on before it jumped to a series of words. "STAY TUNED FOR A NEW PROGRAM- MTT."

"MTT? What does that mean-"

"EEK! THIS IS NOT THE SHOW I HAD IN MIND! IT'S AWFUL! NOT AS GOOD AS IT USUALLY IS! DON'T JUDGE ME!" Papyrus exclaimed dramatically and quickly turned the television off, interrupting Alice in the process.

"... Well I don't even watch television so I'm not quite in the position to judge you." Alice admitted.

"THAT'S A RELIEF. WHAT DO YOU WATCH THEN?" Papyrus asked.

"Hmm… well I tend to often read books in my past-time, daydream, or play with my cat Dinah. I especially love fantasy as far as genres go. I've even come up with my own little world called Wonderland once." Alice answered.

"WONDERLAND? HMM… SOUNDS LIKE QUITE THE COUNTRY! WHAT DO THEY DO THERE?"

"They go about their daily lives much like you monsters do here in the Underground. They are a lot more bizarre and mad than you are though. They love to have tea parties, tell stories, give good advice, play croquet, hold a race, and all sorts of other activities." Alice replied with a smile.

"OOH A TEA PARTY?! UNDYNE LOVES TEA! I JUST KNOW YOU'LL GET ALONG FOR CERTAIN! NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus cheered optimistically, clearly gleeful to know that from Alice.

"Oh she is? I'll keep that in mind. Maybe we could have a nice discussion over a cup of tea." Alice said as she noticed something on the floor.

There on the floor lied a dirty sock with a series of notes on it. _Curious,_ Alice thought and realized she much prefered having her thoughts be free to herself as opposed to when Chara took over. She looked at the notes carefully and saw it was an exchange between Sans and Papyrus. "SANS! PLEASE PICK UP YOUR SOCK! ok. DON'T PUT IT BACK DOWN! MOVE IT! ok. YOU MOVED IT TWO INCHES! MOVE IT TO YOUR ROOM! ok. AND DON'T BRING IT BACK! ok. IT'S STILL HERE! didn't you just say not to bring it back to my room? FORGET IT!' Alice chuckled to herself after reading this. It seemed these two skeleton brothers were not much different from human brothers but it was clear their love for one another shined brightly. After reading this, Alice decided to look into the kitchen.

"Hmm… I've seen that before." Alice remarked when she recognized a device as one she saw in Toriel's kitchen.

It was big and stood next to an absurdly tall sink with a big cabinet door. There was also a long counter and a stove, as well as a simple trash can to the corner of the kitchen. Alice did never find out what it was called so she wondered if Papyrus could explain it. Out of curiosity she peered into the trash can to see what was in it. Papyrus saw this and remarked,

"THAT'S THE TRASH CAN. FEEL FREE TO VISIT IT AT ANY TIME."

Alice simply smiled in an embarrassed way before she turned to the stove. This triggered another response from Papyrus,

"MY BROTHER ALWAYS GOES OUT TO EAT. BUT… RECENTLY, HE TRIED 'BAKING' SOMETHING. IT WAS LIKE… A QUICHE. BUT FILLED WITH A SUGARY, NON-EGG SUBSTANCE. HOW ABSURD!"

"So you both cook then?" Alice asked.

"MORE SO ME THAN SANS BUT SANS IS THE BEST TASTE-TESTING BROTHER THE GREAT PAPYRUS COULD HOPE FOR! STILL, ONE TIME HE SWITCHED THE TOMATO SAUCE ON MY SPAGHETTI WITH KETCHUP! HE'S ALWAYS SUCH A JOKESTER!" Papyrus recounted joyfully.

Alice found that rather interesting. From what the nightmare she had told her, Sans was capable of being extremely serious and even formidable yet was always so goofy and upbeat. Papyrus on the other hand was also goofy and upbeat in his own way and while he had beaten Alice, he certainly didn't have Sans' killer instincts. It made Alice wonder how much either of them knew about the other. Did Papyrus for instance know Sans was capable of killing? It seemed right now Papyrus didn't know about Sans 'hidden mercilessness. _That's probably for the best…_ Alice decided. Next, Alice turned to her attention to the giant sink.

"Now why is your sink so tall Papyrus? I mean it's taller than the thing right next to it," Alice said, pointing at each of them to compare.

"NYEH HEH HEH! WHY MY DEAR HUMAN, IT IS SO I CAN PUT MORE BONES INTO IT! TAKE A LOOKSY!" Papyrus exclaimed.

Alice shrugged her shoulders and opened the door to find a cute white dog chomping down on a single bone. In fact, it looked like the same dog that had been caught up in the Gauntlet from earlier. Alice smiled to see such a cute creature again though seeing that it did have a bone in its mouth, realized it may have taken away the many bones Papyrus had presumably stored in the sink. Papyrus noticed too and his eyes went wide. He pointed at the dog shouting,

"WHAT!? CATCH THAT MEDDLING CANINE!

Unfortunately the dog was alarmed quickly to Papyrus's call and dashed out of the kitchen with a significant head start. Alice did make an attempt to chase after it but the dog escaped through the front door with the bone.

"Oh dear. Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance Papyrus." Alice apologized humbly.

"CURSES!" Papyrus lambasted this turn of events.

At that moment, the sound of a door opening could be heard from the upstairs floor. Then a musical and rich sound of a musical instrument being played was heard. Upon listening more closely to it, Alice identified the instrument as a trombone… _Oh I think I know who's playing it in that case,_ Alice giggled to herself as she realized the skeleton pun within that choice. After rushing to the stairs to look up at who it was, she saw that it was indeed Sans playing the trombone from a door to the furthest right of the floor. There was also another door on the left that had a lot of papers and signs attached to the door and a painting of a bone in between them. Sans then retreated to his room, but not before winking at Alice playfully as though saying he had done it with her in mind. Alice then observed something peculiar peeking through the bottom crack of San's room, color-shifting lights that appeared to be flames. Alice wasn't even sure what to react to first but Papyrus did,

"SANS! STOP PLAGUING MY LIFE WITH INCIDENTAL MUSIC!"

"... I didn't… know he played an instrument also." Alice said sheepishly as she felt a bit of blush coming to her cheeks.

"OH YOU HAVE NO IDEA… HE'S ALWAYS WELL-EQUIPPED TO MAKE A JOKE OUT OF ANYTHING. ANYWAYS HUMAN. I WANT YOU TO COME TO MY ROOM! SINCE YOU ARE STAYING THE NIGHT I MUST MAKE SURE THAT AS A GUEST OF MY HOUSE, YOU ARE COMFORTABLE." Papyrus offered courtesly.

"Really? Why thank you then Papyrus. I must say I am interested in seeing your room. You have such a bold style of your own." Alice said as she shook off her flustered demeanor and remembered to behave properly.

"INDEED. NOW LET US BARGE IN!" Papyrus rushed up the stairs, led Alice to the front of the door, and opened it for her.

Alice hadn't a clue before entering the room on what to expect so she was definitely astounded and impressed by what she saw. She saw the same carpeting of the living room but it had a beautiful purple rug outlined with a flame design in the middle of the room. There was a cardboard box filled with bones to one corner of the room, a closet door, a table with some rather complex machinery on it, a big bookcase filled with books much like the ones in the library, a magnificent jolly roger flag suitable for a play about pirates, a table filled with what looked like dolls that appeared to be of a more sturdy material, and an incredible bed that looked like some sort of low and slender vehicle. The bad news is that it seemed to be filled with a lot of futuristic stuff which would confuse Alice to no end. The good news is that it looked magnificent together and really seemed to say a lot about Papyrus's character. Alice looked at the bones first and realized some of these looked familiar.

"HEY, THOSE ARE ALL THE ATTACKS I USED ON YOU. GREAT MEMORIES, HUH? SEEMS LIKE IT WAS ONLY YESTERDAY… EVEN THOUGH IT BASICALLY JUST HAPPENED. NEVER GOT TO USE THE SPECIAL ATTACK EITHER… AH WELL, NOW THAT YOU ARE MY FRIEND I CAN SHOW YOU GREATER THINGS ALICE." Papyrus explained.

"I-I don't think I would've been able to survive a special attack so I am very relieved to hear that Papyrus." Alice confessed.

"SURVIVE? IT WASN'T MEANT FOR DIRE HARM, IT WAS MEANT TO ENTERTAIN AND INSPIRE YOU!" Papyrus clarified.

Alice looked amused by that answer and turned to the strange machines on the desk. She had no idea what they were called and decided to ask Papyrus.

"Err… Papyrus? I'm not too familiar with machinery so could you please tell me what this is?"

"OH! YOU MEAN THE COMPUTER?! WELL ALICE, I FEEL THE DEEPEST SENSE OF PITY FOR YOU. THIS REVOLUTIONARY DEVICE HAS ACCESS TO THE ONE AND ONLY INTERNET! YOU CAN SEARCH UP ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING AND BECOME A SUPERSTAR! I MYSELF AM QUITE POPULAR THERE. I'M JUST A DOZEN AWAY… FROM A DOUBLE DIGIT FOLLOWER COUNT. OF COURSE, FAME HAS A STEEP PRICE. A JEALOUS TROLL HAS BESIEGED MY ONLINE PERSONA. ALWAYS SENDING ME BAD PUNS IN A GOOFY FONT…" Papyrus spoke animatedly.

"Oh yes, I remember you telling me about the Internet before. So is this device designed to access it then?" Alice asked remembering when it had been brought up when Alphys was discussed.

"YES. IT ACTUALLY ACCESSED IT FIRST AND THEN PHONES CAME AROUND AFTER TO JOIN THE INTERNET KINGDOM. PERHAPS I COULD LOOK SOMETHING UP FOR YOU?" Papyrus asked.

"Hmm… nothing comes to mind at the moment but thank you for offering." Alice said.

The Internet clearly must've been one of the most important future human inventions seeing how it was so commonly used and described so fondly of here in the Underground. Alice wasn't sure if she would ever use it though as she did prefer going out of her way to speak to people in person and that she was still intimidated by such advancements. Furthermore there were more important matters on her mind than playing around on a computer. Turning to the bookcase, she noticed two books in particular that caught her eye. "Advanced Puzzle Construction for Critical Minds" which sounded like a guide to creating puzzles and riddles like the ones Papyrus had made her solve earlier. Then there was a whimsical and beautifully illustrated children's book called "Peek-A-Boo with Fluffy Bunny." Both of them were very different yet, Alice knew they were probably books Papyrus was quite fond of.

"So Papyrus, can you explain the story behind this pirate flag?" Alice asked as she looked towards it.

"YOU KNOW WHAT THAT FLAG IS?! WOW! UNDYNE FOUND IT AT THE BAY! IT MADE ME BELIEVE THAT HUMANS DESCENDED FROM SKELETONS!" Papyrus grinned as he gave his theory.

"Well not exactly. See, skeletons compose the human body's physical structure and then there's a layer of skin over it that protects the skeleton. Other features like muscles, blood, and physical features combine and contribute in order to create a living human being. Now as for this flag, it's a pirate flag. Traditionally they would use the skull and crossbones as a symbol of danger and that they were menacing and merciless. After all, when humans die they decompose into skeletons so pirates who used a skeleton on their flag suggested they would kill those who crossed their path." Alice explained as she entered another thinking pose.

"T-THAT… WAS BEAUTIFUL… YOU ARE AMAZING HUMAN! I NEVER WOULD'VE THOUGHT OF THAT. I BET UNDYNE WOULD LOVE BEING A PIRATE THEN! SHE'S VERY MENACING." Papyrus looked on the verge of happy tears much to Alice's embarrassment.

"I can't say I agree or disagree with that since I haven't met her…" Alice chuckled a bit as she turned to the table of dolls next.

"AH, YES, ACTION FIGURES. A GREAT REFERENCE FOR THE THEORETICAL BATTLE SCENARIOS. HOW DO I HAVE SO MANY? WELL, LET'S JUST SAY THEY'RE FROM… A CHUBBY, SMILING MAN WHO LOVES TO SURPRISE PEOPLE."

"... Well given the circumstances is it Santa? I know that the people in Snowdin do believe in him." Alice offered.

"YES! EXACTLY! SANTA!" Papyrus cheered proudly.

 _I wonder who this Santa is,_ Alice thought, _or at least the person who gives the gifts out initially._ Sans was one candidate for being Santa given the size and smiling description but what if it was someone Alice hadn't met yet? Alice decided she needed further information before theorizing about someone who could be all but fictional. It was also a bit of random nonsense that wasn't truly important at the moment. The last notable feature of Papyrus's room was that incredible vehicle bed so Alice asked about it,

"What's the reasoning behind this bed Papyrus?"

"WELL IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A DREAM OF MINE SHOULD I EVER GET TO THE SURFACE TO DRIVE DOWN A LONG HIGHWAY. WIND IN MY HAIR… SUN ON MY SKIN… OF COURSE, THAT'S ONLY A DREAM. SO INSTEAD I CRUISE WHILE I SNOOZE." Papyrus replied.

"Hehehe… very funny. So is this really what vehicles in the future look like? It seems like it'd be awfully cold with the interior exposed like this though it also seems faster than a simple carriage." Alice observed.

"IT CAN CONVERT ITSELF TO CLOSE IN AND PROTECT THE INTERIOR SHOULD IT SNOW OR HAIL OR RAIN COOKIE CATS AND HOT DOGS." Papyrus said.

"Very impressive. I knew humans had the will to do anything but to see them progress this far is outstanding."

"YES BUT I MUST APOLOGIZE THAT OUR TIME TOGETHER FOR TODAY IS UP. IT IS VERY LATE AND I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU. SOMETHING THAT WILL HELP YOU SLEEP COMFORTABLY!" Papyrus ended the conversation and went into his closet looking for something.

Despite the nap from earlier, Alice was indeed a bit tired from the cozy environment of the house and from expelling and dealing with Chara. So a good night's sleep seemed very inviting, especially with Papyrus and Sans sleeping alongside her. So she stood and waited patiently as Papyrus fumbled with different things inside his closet. In a matter of moments, Papyrus exclaimed with joy as he found what he had been looking for. He turned to Alice and held out two different things. One was a simple fur blanket in a wintery shade of white and the other was a bit more interesting. It appeared to be a doll of sorts done in exquisite and charming detail. It was a short and slender black mouse with a cream face, a big black nose, black eyes, white gloves and big yellow shoes. It was also wearing red short overalls with big white buttons. It's long, black mouse tail and happy expression seemed very delightful to Alice and it would've been something she'd like to have with her as she slept.

"This mouse is adorable! Do you know it's name?" Alice asked as she took both the blanket and the doll graciously.

"NOT REALLY… I FOUND IT SOME TIME AGO LYING IN THE SNOW AND I FELT BAD FOR IT SO… I GAVE IT A HOME HERE IN MY CLOSET. PROBABLY THE ONLY SKELETON IN MY CLOSET REALLY. I HOPE IT CAN KEEP YOU COMPANY! NOW, I WILL ESCORT YOU TO YOUR BED." Papyrus said with an elegant gesture.

Turns out the bed in Papyrus's mind was the couch downstairs in the living room since there were no other beds for Alice to sleep on. The couch itself was a bit jingly with some stray G under the cushions but once Alice collected those, laid down, and was tucked in by Papyrus, it definitely felt like a worthy bed. Alice hugged the mouse doll tightly as it was made of a very soft material and Papyrus kissed Alice gently on her forehead like a nurturing father figure.

"GOOD NIGHT ALICE. SEE YOU TOMORROW." He said quietly and sweetly as he turned off the lights.

"... Good night my curious friend." Alice said as she yawned and began to drift into dreamland.

For all that was worth, her dream that night was very pleasant compared to the last two. Nothing ominous or having 'Alice' present, just a simple and fun tea party with Sans and Papyrus. Perhaps this wonderful dream was a sign of how excited Alice was for tomorrow. After all, she had a very important date with Papyrus. It was in her best interests not to be late and she couldn't wait.

To Be Continued...


	12. Alice's First (Very Important) Date

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 11 Alice's First (Very Important) Date

Waking up in the morning was a very familiar sensation to Alice so she was glad that even in this unfamiliar land there were still things that could make it feel more like home. Recognizing the television, Alice was a bit relieved to know she hadn't been moved in her sleep and that she was still in the house of the very kind skeletons. Of course this also made her more curious to see what a regular morning in their lives looked like. Still clutching the pleasantly charming mouse plushie, Alice got up from her makeshift bed and looked around. The house itself didn't have that many rooms so Alice assumed the most likely place to start looking was the kitchen. As she looked into the kitchen, she indeed saw Papyrus there at the stove, cooking something that smelled… rather fragrant. The table from earlier was also set for three with chairs, plates, napkins, and eating utensils. There were also three cups filled with something that was clearly hot as steam drifted into the air from inside. From the smell, Alice quickly understood it was a flowery sort of tea. Quickly having a good feeling about this, Alice wished Papyrus a good morning.

"Good morning Papyrus." She said as she took the seat on the right side of the table.

"AH! HUMAN! YOU HAVE AWOKEN, YOU HAVE RISEN, YOU ARE JUST IN LUCK! TODAY YOU WILL BE SERVED THE FABLED SPAGHETTI OF MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS!" Papyrus grinned as Alice noticed he was wearing a toque on top of his skeletal head.

"I'm quite excited to try your cooking after how much you've spoken about it. I assume this is part of the date?"

"YOU ARE HALF RIGHT AND HALF WRONG. WHILE INDEED I AM COOKING MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE DISH SPECIFICALLY FOR YOU… I AM SERVING IT TO BOTH YOU AND SANS AS PART OF A REGULAR BREAKFAST." Papyrus clarified as he stirred the spaghetti.

"Speaking of such, where is Sans? Is he already on sentry duty?" Alice asked as she took a closer look at the cup of tea.

It had a beautiful golden color and smelled of a very fresh and beautiful flower. Granted it must've been an edible flower but it did make Alice curious as to what sort of flower had been used in the tea. As for Sans, he was not at the table and didn't appear to be anywhere in Alice's sight so it was natural for her to ask where he went. Papyrus poured some tomato sauce that had probably been made by scratch onto the noodles but seemed a bit reticent towards answering Alice's question. After an awkward silence Papyrus replied,

"HE'S SLEEPING IN. HE HAD A BIT OF A NIGHTMARE LAST NIGHT SO I ALLOWED HIM TO REST SOME MORE. ODD HOW I AM ACTUALLY SUPPORTING HIS LAZINESS BUT THESE NIGHTMARES HAVE BEEN HAPPENING MORE THAN ONCE RECENTLY."

"Nightmares…?" Alice asked, slightly disturbed as that sounded too familiar.

"WELL YES… HE HAD ONE A FEW DAYS AGO AND NOW THIS ONE! IT WAS EVEN DESCRIBED TO BE ABOUT THE SAME… STILL, I'M SURE MY SPECIAL RECIPE WILL CHEER HIM UP!" Papyrus spoke with his usual positive outlook on life.

"... I think that's very sweet of you to support him like that. By the way, if I may ask, what kind of tea have you offered me?" Alice asked.

She wasn't trying to sound uninterested by changing the subject from the nightmare, it was that she was a bit afraid to hear about the nightmare. She was especially worried that it might've been a nightmare like the ones she had in the past involving 'Alice' and often a dreadful scenario. If anything she could ask Sans about it and see what the nightmare was from his point of view and she didn't want to dampen the mood. So instead she asked about the ever golden tea that by now was cool enough to take a sip.

"AH! I KNEW YOU LOVE YOUR TEA SO I MADE A TEA THAT'S A FAVORITE OF THE KING'S! GOLDEN FLOWER TEA." Papyrus replied.

"Golden Flower Tea? So it doesn't have a specific title then? Although… I may have actually seen this Golden Flower before…" Alice said as she recalled that she had landed in patch of them when she first arrived in the Underground.

"THEY ARE VERY PRETTY! BUT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THEM IN SNOWDIN AS THE SNOW JUST PILES UP. THEY ARE COMMON IN OTHER AREAS THOUGH." Papyrus said.

"That makes sense… and it's also quite impressive for a flower to grow and endure a place without any sunlight." Alice reasoned as she took the cup and sipped the tea.

The tea was delicious with a distinct flowery tone, a rich and sophisticated flavor, and subtle sweetness of cinnamon like that of Toriel's pie. It was definitely one of the best teas Alice had tasted in all her life and would definitely be one she would inquire the recipe for. However she knew that there were more important things to focus on at the moment beyond some mere tea. For instance, the date between her and Papyrus that she was still rather in the dark about. She was hoping it would be something that would help her enjoy herself even more and relax or perhaps another learning opportunity about the Underground. In the meantime though, Papyrus served Alice a plateful of spaghetti. The noodles looked fine, the tomato sauce seemed rich, and there were even a few meatballs prime for being devoured by the forkful. Papyrus clasped his hands together and announced,

"BONE APPETIT! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, GRANT YOU THE HONOR OF A HANDMADE MEAL! SILKEN SPAGHETTI, FINELY AGED IN AN OAKEN CASK…THEN COOKED BY ME."

"Wonderful! I see it looks very well-cooked and it smells… hmm…" Alice slightly frowned after sniffing it more closely.

It smelled unusual as though some ingredients Alice had never smelled before were used in the recipe. _That actually does make quite some sense,_ Alice thought, _since we aren't on the surface it means that they probably had to use new ingredients found down here._ Alice was beginning to have some suspicions that she was about to have an unpleasant taste sensation but knew it would be rude to reject the spaghetti after having such a nice tea. So swallowing her pride, she used her fork to pick up some noodles and sauce and placed it in her mouth. Alice immediately scrunched her face up. The taste was indescribable. It certainly wasn't the best spaghetti Alice had ever eaten yet somehow wasn't quite the worst though if she had to be honest it was closer to worst.

"WHAT A PASSIONATE EXPRESSION! YOU MUST REALLY LOVE MY COOKING!" Papyrus claimed.

"I-it's certainly… *cough* a fascinating flavor…" Alice coughed and quickly took a sip of tea to down the spaghetti.

It was at that moment when Alice heard someone climbing down the stairs. Feeling some gratitude at being saved from an awkward situation, Alice turned to see it was indeed Sans. Based on what Alice had been told, Sans had been sleeping in due to the nightmare so she was worried he would look unwell or shaken. For the most part he was smiling though he did seem a bit more reserved than he had been in the forest. Sans noticed the little girl's gaze and flinched uncomfortably, even looking rather frightened of her. Alice raised her eyebrow confused as she decided to take another sip of tea. After all, she hadn't done anything to warrant such a reaction. _Unless… I was part of that nightmare._ Alice thought with some concern. Papyrus saw Sans concern and quickly spoke up,

"SANS. DON'T WORRY, YOU'RE SAFE NOW AND SAFE IS WHERE YOU'LL STAY. THAT NIGHTMARE HAS A 0.0% CHANCE OF EVER HAPPENING. NOW COME HAVE BREAKFAST!"

"... heh… you're right bro.. sorry about that. nice toque by the way." Sans recovered enough to give a sincere compliment.

"THANK YOU."

"If I may inquire Sans, what exactly occurred in this nightmare?" Alice pondered aloud as she figured that getting the uncomfortable topic out of the way would do everyone some good.

"... promise me you won't be offended alice-oop?" Sans asked, adding a good-natured pun to the question.

"I have no reason to be offended after all your support so begin sharing." Alice clarified as she straightened out her apron and looked at him take his seat.

"ok then… well i dreamed that… you had done some really bad things to everyone alice… and things grew really dark in the underground. but to be fair it's unlikely you have a bad bone in your body so i know it was just a nightmare."

Sans reply was not only painfully vague, but from his tone it didn't seem like he 100% believed that Alice didn't have a bad bone in her body. It was almost as if he was warning her not to even think of doing something bad. It made Alice fairly convinced his nightmare was alike to the ones Alice had been having. A nightmare so realistic that it seemed to warn of potential future events. Alice had to admit she wasn't sure of how to reassure Sans of her loyalty as she didn't want to open up about the fact there had been a murderous version of herself in these dreams. If she said something like that, they might take it the wrong way and question her honesty. So Alice decided to think more towards the upcoming date between her and Papyrus.

"T-thank you Sans… I do wish you could've had a more pleasant dream. Would you like to help me do the word search puzzle with me?" Alice asked as she pulled out the word search she had gotten from earlier.

"EHHHH?! I GUESS YOU REALLY ARE INTENT ON SOLVING THAT PUZZLE! PERHAPS SANS DID HAVE THE RIGHT IDEA IN MIND… I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL ALSO ASSIST YOU!" Papyrus declared after he served Sans his share of spaghetti and both brothers were seated.

"sounds fun. heh, one of the words is 'skeletons'." Sans said grinning as he looked at the words they had to find.

The Monster Kidz Word Search was very easy to solve between Sans' love of puns, Papyrus's eagerness, and Alice's determination to solve the puzzle. Sans made jokes that playfully aggravated Papyrus, Papyrus reaction with childish glee whenever he found a word, and Alice simply being pleased at the fun she was having. She did take a few more bites of the dubious spaghetti as she knew she needed to eat something and eventually she had drank all her tea. Sans seemed to think Papyrus's spaghetti was actually better than Alice was giving it credit for, possibly due to being more familiar with the Underground's cuisine. Naturally though, Papyrus seemed to enjoy his creation the most and was the first and only one to finish his plate. In the matter of several minutes, the Word Search was solved.

"AH-HA! BY FINDING SPRING I HAVE NOW BECKONED THE FALL OF THIS WORD SEARCH! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus cackled gleefully.

"don't you mean 'heh heh heh heyn?'" Sans teased with a wink.

"SANS! YOU JUST TOOK MY CATCHPHRASE AND SAID IT BACKWARDS!" Papyrus shouted.

"imitation is the sincerest form of flattery y'know." Sans said.

"Hehehe… he does have a point there Papyrus. Although it does appear we are finished with breakfast now." Alice pointed out after giggling in amusement.

"YES, INDEED BREAKFAST IS DONE. WHICH CAN ONLY MEAN ONE THING… IT IS TIME FOR OUR DATE TOGETHER ALICE. I CERTAINLY HOPE IT WILL BE GLORIOUS. ALLOW ME TO GO TO MY ROOM FIRST TO GET READY PLEASE?" Papyrus asked Alice with puppy dog eyes.

"Why of course Papyrus, take all the time you need."

With that reassurance from Alice, Papyrus dashed upstairs and to his room, shutting the door loudly to announce where he was. Alice herself sat at the table wondering how she should get ready for the said date. What she wasn't expecting though was Sans actually spoke to her,

"so alice, what are you going to do for the date?"

"Well I'm not entirely sure where the date will take place and how it will go. I do hope we go someplace pleasant." Alice replied honestly.

"huh, didn't know you had much experience with dates at your age. what's your type then?"

"... Type? Well I do love going to fun parties or to events that take place in beautiful locations like a garden." Alice seemed confused by where Sans was taking this conversation.

Sans however looked a bit amused as it seemed Alice wasn't fully understanding what his brother had in mind.

"alice, you do know that by 'date', papyrus is going to try to see if there's romance between you and him. and by 'type' i meant the kind of person who would make you fall head, shoulders, knees, and toes over him." Sans elaborated with a wink.

"P-Pardon…? Wait a moment, are you saying I have agreed to… COURT him?" Alice asked as she suddenly began feeling quite embarrassed.

Truth be told, Alice never was a romantic thinker. She had not once given any thought to the idea of courting or falling in love because she was much more interested in exploring her own imagination. A world of her own didn't even have any sort of opinion on love as Alice was far too young to know anything about it. Some girls Alice had known though were a bit more romantic than Alice and dreamed of things like 'prince charming' and 'true love's kiss' but Alice was not that sort of girl. In a sense, she was very unorthodox and unfortunately it seemed she got herself caught up in an orthodox situation. Naturally she had not seen Papyrus as someone she would fall in love with or even thought about falling in love with any of her new friends. But it seemed as though Papyrus was under the impression Alice was falling in love with him and thus agreed to do this date with her. _How disastrous_ , Alice thought blushing, _it wasn't a very important date but an invitation to courting._ The one relief is that she now understood that 'date' meant more than one thing down here which would help her in the future.

"courting's so old-fashioned but yep, this is a romantic date. sounds like you had no idea." Sans pointed out.

"I… I simply thought he meant some sort of outing or event… oh dear… what am I going to do? I can't possibly imagine being alone with him in a room o-or doing something flirtatious… my sister would kill me." Alice groaned as she put her hands on her face and leaned on the table.

"well… my brother is a bit more flexible than the average skeleton. if you suggest an idea of what to do together with him he'd consider it in a pulsebeat." Sans recommended Alice.

"Hmm… I suppose that's better than going into something without any idea of what to do. Thank you Sans and I apologize that I got myself into this… had I known that Papyrus was thinking I had feelings for him, I would've denied this date altogether." Alice admitted as she got up from the table and made strides towards Papyrus's room.

"... huh." Sans seemed to regard Alice with a bit of a frown once her back was turned.

It seemed that whatever nightmare he had about Alice, it was making him antsy and bothered by her. Or perhaps it was her choice of words that rubbed him the wrong way. After all, denying the date altogether would hurt Papyrus's feelings and make him feel more distant from Alice. Still, she did seem very genuine which is why he answered her questions but it made it even harder to determine what to think of her. He just sipped some tea calmly and looked at the finished word search. As for Alice, she went up the stairs and knocked on Papyrus's door. She suspected it was locked after all since it seemed Papyrus would be getting ready and she didn't want to intrude presumptuously.

"Papyrus, are you still getting ready for the date?" Alice asked.

"UH… JUST A FEW MOMENTS ALICE… NOW WHAT DO YOU NEED IN THE MEANTIME?" Asked a strained Papyrus from the other side of the door.

"I was just thinking if it would be possible if I could choose what the date would consist of? Like what we would do together?"

"HRMMM… THAT SOUNDS REASONABLY REQUESTABLE AND FAIR! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, LEAVE THE DECISION TO YOU ALICE." Papyrus agreed to Alice's request politely.

Alice began brainstorming the least romantic yet still relationship building activity that could be done between two people in Snowdin. Going to Grillby's seemed to be a bit dubious at this point as well, seeing that the other customers might suspect her and Papyrus to really be dating. The library was a bit boring in terms of a date and everywhere else was far too private or not worth going to as a date location. That only left one option… the outside environment. Namely the plentiful snow that lied on the ground. There were plenty of wintertime activities that could be done with all that snow and it was a simple but easy way to have fun and do something that both partners could find common ground in. So Alice suggested to Papyrus through the door,

"Do you want to build a snowman? I did see you and Sans made snowmen in the forest and I thought it would be quite fun to do that with you."

"AH… THAT WAS SO LONG AGO… OF COURSE SANS TOOK THE LAZY ROUTE WITH HIS SNOWMAN BUT IT WAS THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS. I THINK THAT'D BE A PERFECT DATE ALICE!" Papyrus said cheerfully after recalling some pleasant memories.

"Wonderful. I'll be waiting for you to get ready." Alice said sweetly and waited a good distance away from the door.

After a few peaceful moments, Papyrus emerged triumphantly from his room. However, to Alice's surprise, he was dressed in a completely different outfit from when she last saw him. Gone was the toque and even his 'battle suit', rather he was dressed in a very… form-fitting sort of outfit. He wore a red cap that was on backwards, a white shirt with the words 'Cool Dude' written on it and strange orange and black shoulder-pads that were striped. There was also red shorts in a similar style to the mouse plushie's that Alice had now placed back into her pockets as well as fluffy grey socks and rather platformed orange shoes. It was another testament to Papyrus's very unique sense of fashion. Alice couldn't help but smile at the sight of it and say,

"You look very presentable Papyrus."

"HEH! THIS IS MY SECRET STYLE! AND I APPRECIATE THE GENUINE COMPLIMENT! I MUST SAY THAT I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY DONE THIS BEFORE BUT DON'T WORRY. YOU CAN'T SPELL "PREPARED" WITHOUT SEVERAL LETTERS FROM MY NAME! WE'RE READY TO HAVE A GREAT TIME!" Papyrus announced as he pointed to himself.

"Indeed we are, so shall we move along?' Alice asked gently.

"YES." Papyrus agreed and the two dating individuals made their way out of the house, to Sans delight, and into Snowdin.

Without a true sun to go on, the sky of Snowdin still appeared as though it was nighttime. In fact it was the brightness of the area and atmosphere that indicated it was daytime for the monsters here. Alice and Papyrus emerged to see many villagers from the day before still out and about or perhaps starting their out and about routines. There was plenty of snow in Snowdin alone to work with so Alice looked carefully for a spot to start making a snowman at. While she was carefully considering her mark, Papyrus asked her,

"SO WHAT DESIGN OF SNOWMAN WERE YOU AIMING TO MAKE ALICE?"

"... I was thinking of making a Snow Dinah." Alice replied as she started to gather a pile of snow.

She did still miss her beloved kitten and waking up with a mouse plushie just wasn't at all comparable to a live creature being at her side. Plus it was important to still respect where Alice had come from so she decided that her snowman would be a tribute to Dinah. Of course she was concerned on how to build it but she did have an idea in mind. She thought pleasant thoughts of how she envisioned the finished product and how DETERMINED she was to create the Snowman. As though in sync with her thoughts, two circles of golden light began to manifest upon the snow on either side of Alice. They soon grew and morphed into a rather familiar shape that had appeared yesterday. Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum reappeared and looked ready to assist Alice with whatever she needed to do. They even hopped up and down excitedly. Papyrus turned to Alice and looked impressed by the fragments of DETERMINATION.

"GOLLY! THEY LOOK JUST AS CUDDLY AS THEY DID YESTERDAY! *AHEM* BUT ALICE, WHO IS DINAH?" He asked after clearing his throat.

"Dinah is my pet cat… unfortunately she's nowhere around here. I left her above ground. B-but… I'm sure she wouldn't want me to be so depressed about that which is why I'm going to build a snow version of her." Alice did her best to hide some sadness in her answer.

"HOW SELFLESS! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HER. ALTHOUGH ALICE, I FEEL IT IS BEST TO WARN YOU THAT I HAVE NEVER LOST AT DATING BEFORE! SO THIS DATING WILL BE A DUEL OF THE AGES TO SEE WHICH ONE OF US IS THE MASTER OF DATING." Papyrus announced with a prideful pose.

"... I never knew dating was considered a competition. But anyways, what are you going to build Papyrus?" Alice asked as she had Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum begin constructing the base of snow Dinah.

"NYEH HEH HEH! YOU SEE ALICE, MY CREATION IS GOING TO BE A MARVELOUS SNOW SCULPTURE OF ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" Papyrus declared as he held one finger in the air.

"I never would've guessed. I'm certain it will turn out beautifully." Alice said giggling as she started gathering some snow to add onto the base.

The date was going off to a decent if slow start, though the beauty of the Snowdin and the air not being too cold did help make it a bit more magical. Alice had succeeded to create a good cat base with paws, a tail, four legs, and the pose being that of a lion statue. Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum's golden radiance reflected their energy as they eagerly and effectively put together all the key components of snow Dinah together. Meanwhile, Papyrus was starting to build his own sculpture and his experience in building snowmen showed. It seemed as though the pose of this snow Papyrus was very... reminiscent of art. In fact it looked very similar to a painting that Alice recalled seeing before in a book. _Birth of Venus I think it was called,_ Alice concluded. Naturally it was near impossible to go into that much detail on a snow sculpture but Papyrus was managing to make it quite detailed and even made it wear clothes. So if there was one thing Papyrus was beating Alice on, it was sculpting. Still Alice knew there was more to this date than just sculpting so she asked Papyrus a question,

"So Papyrus, how did you and Sans come about to living here in Snowdin?" Alice asked, remembering the shop-keepers story.

"HMM… GOOD QUESTION ALICE. ESSENTIALLY ME AND SANS HAVE BEEN TOGETHER SINCE… THE DAWN OF SKELETONS AND WE DECIDED SNOWDIN SEEMED LIKE A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE… AND BECAUSE SANS WAS TOO LAZY TO KEEP EXPLORING AND WANTED TO REST HERE. EVERYONE IS SO NICE AND THERE'S EVEN SANTA AROUND HERE." Papyrus replied.

"I do see the certain appeal towards living here but I must inquire, do you also want to be free like the other monsters do and see the surface again?"

"... WELL IF WE WERE TO BREAK THE BARRIER IT'D BE MY FIRST TIME SEEING AND GREETING HUMANS. IT'D BE LOVELY TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS AND SEE THE WORLD BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE STILL DOWN HERE. FORTUNATELY I HAVE YOU NOW ALICE, ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS YOU ARE SLOWLY BUT SURELY FALLING FOR ME…" Papyrus stuttered nervously.

"..." Alice wasn't quite sure how to respond.

Outright denial would seem a bit cruel but it would certainly be the truth. Papyrus did seem very vulnerable at the moment and if she was to say something to deny his assumption, it would potentially hurt their relationship. Alice turned to look at Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, possibly for advice, and they seemed to be shaking their hands and waving their arms in a way that implied 'No'. So in a sense Alice was being told that it was in her best interests to not tell Papyrus that she wasn't falling for him. Alice decided to stay quiet for now and continue work on snow Dinah, which was coming along quite nicely. However Papyrus had seemed to be anticipating some sort of response from Alice and thus he also returned to building his snow Papyrus with a hesitant expression. An awkward silence ensued as both daters focused only on building up their respective snow sculptures. Eventually both were finished and looked quite beautiful.

"Wow… this really does look like Dinah!" Alice exclaimed to herself proudly.

The snow Dinah had her shape, form, whiskers made from sticks, a snow ribbon around it's neck, and was incredibly lifelike. If Alice didn't know any better, she would hop on top of this snow Dinah and ride it like a noble steed for it was quite big. Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum gave each other a hi-five at this incredible success. It definitely made Alice feel much more at home to have something that looked this familiar to her around but she felt slightly disappointed that this date was not going all that well. Alice turned to look at Papyrus's finished snow Papyrus. It was most definitely a Birth of Venus portrayal of Papyrus with the same, trademarked pose of the goddess herself only done in the form of the Great Papyrus. Still it was actually quite remarkable that such a detailed figure had been made by Papyrus and snow alone.

"BEHOLD! GREATNESS IN THE FORM OF THE LEGENDARY SNOW PAPYRUS!" Papyrus showed it to all who were present.

"I think it looks simply marvelous." Alice complimented sweetly and clasped her hands together.

"WHY THANK YOU MY GOOD HUMAN… IT SEEMS AS THOUGH YOURS IS QUITE THE MASTERPIECE AS WELL! IT'S ALMOST AS IF THIS WHOLE DATE WAS PLANNED BY YOU FROM THE START... " Papyrus pointed out snow Dinah with equal sweetness.

"I.. Well… I- oof!" Alice suddenly felt a cold sensation and something rather blunt hit her head before it fell onto her cape.

Alice was a bit flustered still on how to explain to Papyrus she was not romantically interested in him but the sudden attack on her made her even more flustered. She quickly realized she had been hit by a snowball thrown by somebody standing behind her. When Alice turned around after shaking off the snow, she saw Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum pointing at one another as though trying to let Alice know of who committed the deed. Alice shook her head at first with some displeasure until she thought more on what they were hinting at. A snowball… thrown at her as though in a snowball fight. Snowball fights were a very casual, friendly thing to do as an activity although Alice wasn't all too fond of them as the participants could get hurt or carried away. At this moment though, Alice realized that the date was going downhill because of her reservations, nerves, and the fact that she wasn't sure how to express her point to Papyrus. So maybe if she did something with Papyrus that implied a more friendly relationship than a romantic one, like a snowball fight, it'd help him understand without feeling hurt.

"ALICE! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Papyrus, who saw that Alice had been hit by a snowy projectile, checked up on her.

Alice decided that this was her best choice at the moment to help salvage this very important date. With a grin, she reached into the snow and grabbed just enough snow to mold into a ball. Papyrus saw Alice's expression and actions and quickly realized what she was planning to do. After all, he and Sans had many a snowball fight before and were rather even in terms of wins and losses. He chuckled and teased,

"NOW, NOW ALICE. TO CHALLENGE THE GREAT PAPYRUS AT SNOWBALL FIGHTS IS A FOOLHARDY ENDEAVOR! ESPECIALLY ON THIS DATE!"

"Well, the wonderful Alice would very much like to test my chances and challenge you to a snowball spar." Alice said smiling honestly and holding her snowball confidently.

Papyrus began to see a fire in Alice's eyes that was not anything passionate or romantic, but rather youthful and excited. As though Alice was spending this time with him as a good friend rather than a flirtatious, smitten maiden. In that sense it was a relief for him as he just didn't see Alice as someone he could fall in love with and that he preferred her to stay as a friend who would find her own love with someone else. As great as he was, Papyrus felt Alice could do a bit better for herself and find someone who returned her public displays of affection. Hearing her mimic his same title in such an endearing way made her request seem like it would harm his reputation to deny it. So Papyrus quickly armored himself up with a snowball as well with Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum doing very much the same.

"NYEH HEH HEH! CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE 'SNOW' VERSION OF MY SPECIAL ATTACK!" Papyrus taunted Alice as he threw his snowball.

Alice gracefully evaded it with a simple duck and threw hers at the same time as Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum. The snowball Alice threw did miss Papyrus but Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum showed great accuracy as their snowballs hit Papyrus in his face and arm respectively. Papyrus tsked and quickly took a sprint behind his snow Papyrus to gain some ground and time to pack up more snowballs. Alice did the same with her snow Dinah while Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum simply armored up some more snowballs from where they stood. Papyrus quickly emerged with a nasty surprise for the twins as he sent out two snowballs but also a few bones that magically surged towards them. The twins gasped and did their best to avoid the snowballs, but did get hit by the bones and were knocked to the ground.

"DIRECT HIT!" Papyrus cheered before he was clobbered in the face with a snowball.

"Same here!" Alice announced with a chuckle as she had hit Papyrus.

The snowball fight soon was under way officially as both Papyrus, Alice, and the DETERMINATION twins sought supremacy in a flurry of snow and evasion. The snow Dinah and snow Papyrus served as perfect cover to restock on snowballs while managing to endure the date quite well. Due to all the ruckus of laughter, 'plops' from snowball contact, and running around, Sans was lured outside to see what was going on. Seeing the sight made him a bit surprised as he saw that Alice and Papyrus were doing something a lot more laidback, as well as it being an activity he and Papyrus would often do once in awhile. In a sense, this was probably better than something like a dinner or a show that would only encourage Papyrus to get more carried away after what Alice had said to Sans. It also made Sans realize that Alice might've been a bit more sensible that he had given her credit for earlier. She had chosen an activity that was more friendship building than romance building and it seemed that the two of them were having fun.

"Oh hello Sans! Care to join us? It's truly a thrilling experience!" Alice asked between her giggles.

Alice was definitely enjoying herself much to her own surprise. It felt like the first fun thing she had done in the Underground that would be something she would also do back in England. It was relatable and very symbolic to her and thus she wanted to invite as much people as she could into sharing this memory. Sans could understand that perfectly by her tone and her happy smile and he knew that Papyrus would also love the idea and so shrugged his shoulders and bent over.

"ok then, it's 'SNOWTIME." Sans said with a smirk as he picked up some snow and started throwing it at both Papyrus and Alice.

Sans turned out to have pretty good accuracy as he was able to land successful hits on both Alice and Papyrus. He seemed to ignore Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum for the most part and it was even a bit weird how he said nothing about their presence. However, Alice and Papyrus didn't notice this unusual fact as they were completely engaged in this date that quickly became a playdate. The snowball fight was in plain sight of the townspeople of Snowdin and the laughter, direct hits and even the occasional pun (Accompanied by a "SANS!" afterward) were overheard by them. Particularly Monster Kid who decided to run over and see what it was all about. The other villagers simply watched from afar, as they knew that the skeleton brothers were always entertaining. Monster Kid came over and asked,

"Hey, HEY! Can I join in too? This looks like a ton of fun!"

"Oh of course… in fact, you can be my eyes and ears." Alice said cheerfully as she knew Monster Kid didn't have any arms but also knew of a way he could still be very useful.

"What's tha- whoa! Cool! A piggyback ride! Thanks kid!" Monster Kid gasped as he was hoisted onto Alice's shoulders as she ran around to hurl snowballs and dodge snowballs.

"HOH! A TAG TEAM! HOW DASTARDLY BRILLIANT! SANS, JOIN ME AND WE'LL BE UNSTOPPABLE!" Papyrus proposed dramatically to Sans.

"eh, i don't know if i want to be part of a 'nag' team." Sans teased back as he threw a snowball at Papyrus.

"GAH! NEVER MIND!" Papyrus groaned as he took the hit and the pun all in one.

Time soon passed as the six participants engaged in a snowball fight unlike any other in the Underground. It would definitely go down in history not only due to the many villagers who saw it, some even coming out of the Library and Grillby's to see what the fuss was about, but also the beautiful snow sculptures of a cat and Papyrus that endured the entire battle. But like all great battles, it reached it's conclusion as the participants took care of their business. Alice dispelled Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, surprised at how easy it was to control her DETERMINATION now, and set Monster Kid gently down on the ground.

"I hope you had a pleasant time little one." Alice said sincerely.

"That was so awesome! Man, if only Undyne was here too to snowball fight… she would've wiped the ground with everyone! Plus it would've been awesome to see a snow Undyne too…" Monster Kid replied dreamily.

"She sure does seem to be highly respected. If I ever see her I'll be certain to let her know about you and your dedication towards her." Alice marked her promise with a curtsy.

"R-really?… Thanks so much! You are really cool and a good friend. See you around hopefully." Monster Kid cheered Alice on and then made a sprint back towards the heart of town.

Alice sighed after Monster Kid departed. Regardless of how both he and Papyrus made Undyne sound, Alice was fairly certain Undyne would be after her due to being the head of the king's Royal Guard. She was currently hoping that she could find a way to pacify Undyne and befriend her much like with Sans, Papyrus, and Toriel. She knew her time in Snowdin was quite finished for now and she would cherish it greatly. There was still one last thing for the English girl to do though and so she turned to face him. Papyrus was indeed standing there awaiting Alice's gaze and looking uncomfortable. Interestingly enough, Sans was nowhere to be seen and while it was reasonable to believe he went into the house, Alice inquired anyway.

"Papyrus… um, do you know here Sans went off to?"

"HE WENT TO PERFORM HIS SENTRY DUTIES. TO BE HONEST I DON'T BLAME HIM IF HE NAPS AGAIN ON THE JOB BECAUSE THAT WAS EXHILARATING. TRULY A GREAT SNOWBALL FIGHT WORTHY OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" Papyrus replied, his face lightening up after recalling the fight.

"Same here, it has been quite some time since I did anything so athletic. It was quite a refreshing experience." Alice replied, putting her hand to her heart and finding happiness in it beating quicker from the workout.

"ALICE… WITH THIS I CAN CONCLUDE OUR DATE IS OVER. IT'S CLEAR NOW. YOU'RE… NOT MADLY IN LOVE WITH ME. DESPITE YOUR ACTIONS YESTERDAY I CAN SEE NOW WITH CERTAINTY IT WAS NOT FLIRTATION BUT RATHER ACTIONS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE FRIENDZONE." Papyrus explained his observation.

"F-Friendzone…? What kind of-"

"I-IT'S NOT IMPORTANT. WHAT IS IMPORTANT THOUGH IS THAT YOU PRESERVED YOUR INNOCENCE AND FEELINGS WHICH IS VERY GOOD. I DON'T SHARE THE SAME ROMANTIC FEELINGS YOU MAY HAVE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE I HAD FOR YOU. YET YOU ONCE AGAIN PROVED YOUR BLOSSOMING CLEVERNESS AND IDENTIFIED IT AND ALSO SHOWED A WILLINGNESS TO BE A BEST FRIEND TO ME. I KNOW THAT SOMEDAY, YOU WILL FIND THE ONE WHO YOU WILL SEE AS THE GREATEST. MAYBE NOT AS GREAT AS ME BUT THEY WILL BE GREAT. NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus interrupted Alice's inquisitive nature with a very uplifting speech.

Alice was definitely not expecting that he would not only understand exactly what she had been trying to convey, but also to hear that he considered her a best friend. Furthermore, he had directly encouraged her to find someone that she would fall in love with and be happy. _How embarrassing,_ Alice thought as she still wasn't used to romantic thinking at all. It would probably be by the time she was a young adult before she would even start to get the hang of it enough to make an attempt. For now though she felt very lucky to have made such a strong bond with Papyrus and felt so touched by his words. It was a confidence boost that while not necessarily useful for her goal of breaking the Barrier and exploring the Underground, it was useful towards how she would determine her future and live her life from here on in. With this in mind, Alice gave Papyrus a curtsy that she felt would be the last in a while.

"Thank you so much Papyrus. I truly am blessed to have met such a charismatic, charming, and kind-hearted individual in my Wonderland."

"WELL THIS IS THE UNDERGROUND BUT IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE AN IMAGINATION. OH YES, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING BEFORE YOU GO OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS. MY PHONE NUMBER. NOW YOU CAN CALL ME ANYTIME. PLATONICALLY." Papyrus offered.

"Really now?" Alice asked amazed.

Sure enough, Papyrus took Alice's phone and with some button presses and dialing, Alice now had Papyrus's number down as a contact similar to Toriel. It reminded Alice that she could potentially call Toriel whenever she wanted but she still desired to honor the promise and keep Toriel's existence secret. She was relieved that Papyrus hadn't noticed Toriel's name in the contacts either. For now though, Alice felt extremely grateful towards all Papyrus had done for her and how she had such an incredible first impression of the monster's society in the Underground. It was giving her the most DETERMINATION yet and she knew that after all she learned yesterday and today, she could easily get through it. It was time to carry on deeper into the Underground and make her family and friends proud of her.

To Be Continued...


	13. Learn Lots of Things From the Flowers

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 12 Learn Lots of Things From the Flowers

With her decision firmly made and nothing left in Snowdin to do, Alice soon could be seen standing in the same area where she had first confronted Papyrus in the mist. It was also the place where she mastered her DETERMINATION to send Chara away from her body. A block of ice, presumably from the wolf Alice had saw yesterday, bobbed up and down in the river. After enduring another blanket of icy mist, Alice soon saw the scenery become crystal clear again and saw the path she needed to take. Nodding to herself with assured responsibility and confidence, Alice left the realm of Snowdin and entered a new realm within the Underground. It was the realm that had been described to her quite some time ago by Napstablook and she was hoping that a reunion was imminent. She was entering Waterfall.

"How enchanting... " Alice remarked in awe as she saw a stream of water falling down in a heavenly way.

Things Alice quickly noticed as she went down this path was the weather becoming slightly warmer, a sense of there being moisture in the air, a subtle change in brightness of the area, and generally the water being more profound than it had been in Snowdin. The increased warmth was the most appreciated by Alice and she debated removing the cloak that Sans had given her but decided it was also useful protection to keep on. She also remembered her ability to call Papyrus and briefly debated calling him. _I could use more practice with the phone if it's so common in the future,_ Alice gave a convincing argument to herself. So in the end, she dialed Papyrus's number to call him. After a few brisk rings she got an answer,

"AH, ALICE! GREETINGS! IT HAS ONLY BEEN ABOUT 15 MINUTES SINCE WE LAST SPOKE BUT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, FIND THIS QUICK REUNION VERY NICE. WHAT'S UP?"

Papyrus's joy shone through in his voice, despite the weird electrical undertone of the phone playing it, and made Alice feel glad she had made this decision.

"Well I've past the area where we… formally became friends and I was hoping you recognize this area that is beyond the path." Alice identified her situation to Papyrus.

"WATERFALL… I BARELY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. BUT I'LL DO MY BEST TO INFORM YOU!" Papyrus replied.

 _So this really is the place Napstablook lives,_ Alice thought happily. She did miss the ghost quite a bit ever since he had said he originally lived in Waterfall and simply visited the Ruins. A cordial reunion between them would make Alice very happy. It also meant that she would see the place that had inspired her to truly fight for her right to explore the Underground and that it held a certain sentimental value to her heart. As for Papyrus's answer, Alice understood that Papyrus probably didn't get out of Snowdin much so it made sense to her that he didn't really know anything about it. His willingness to help her nonetheless was very much appreciated.

"Thank you very much Papyrus. I'll call you whenever I need you again." Alice resisted the urge to curtsy as she concluded the conversation.

Hanging up on the phone, Alice had to admit these phone conversations felt very unorthodox but still held the same ground and honor of a normal conversation. She also appreciated the extra practice as she noticed that the river took a sharp turn to the left. The path however kept going straight forward past the river. Alice's delicate steps echoed through the path until she found an unexpectedly crowded area. The first thing she detected was Monster Kid standing absent-mindedly, rocking back and forth on his feet. Then she noticed an orange monster resembling a fish crossed with a lizard wearing a blue top with big black eyes standing next to what looked like the most curious flower Alice had ever seen. It had a tall stem with six fluttery blue petals and didn't have any particular scent behind it. But what was most surprising of all beyond the familiar Monster Kid and unusual flower was SANS, at a completely new sentry station. The snow on top of the roof implied it still was very much a sentry station of Sans but due to the warmer climate it seemed questionable how there was still snow on it.

"... Papyrus?" Alice asked as she quickly dialed him on her phone and got a response.

"SO SOON OF YOU TO CALL AGAIN HUMAN! WHAT IS IT?!"

"Sans has another sentry station? In Waterfall? I never knew that…" Alice admitted in childish surprise.

"YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY! YES, HE MANS TWO STATIONS AT ONCE. AMAZING, ISN'T HE? HE SLACKS OFF TWICE AS MUCH AS NORMAL!" Papyrus bellowed through the phone excitedly.

Alice had a keen idea in mind of how Sans was able to man two stations at once based on an earlier experience with him in the woods. He did seem to possess some sort of teleporting ability after all so manifesting himself in two separate stations was little challenge to him, Though Alice was a bit disappointed she had not realized this earlier so she could ask Sans what Waterfall had in store for her. _Perhaps he wanted to leave it as a surprise for later,_ Alice thought hopefully. She was also puzzled at the reappearance of Monster Kid who she was sure had stayed behind in town and that she hadn't seen head down this path. He was also very young to be out and about in an unfamiliar environment. So deciding it was safest to approach them first, Alice asked Monster Kid,

"Excuse me, Monster Kid? What are you doing here all alone?"

"Yo, Alice! Are you sneaking out to see her, too? Awesome… She's the coolest, right!? I wanna be just like her when I grow up…" Monster Kid replied as he swayed like a lovesick fellow.

"To be perfectly frank, what I am doing would not be considered 'sneaking out'... it'd be more along the lines of simply fending for myself. Furthermore, I presume you are talking about Undyne. While I haven't come out to see her specifically I wouldn't mind seeing and getting to know her." Alice clarified as she fiddled with her hands awkwardly.

"Oh! I know you'll find her to be awesome! She's the head of the Royal Guard, can supplex boulders, has a near limitless amount of spears, and is a brave and noble warrior!" Monster Kid pronounced many facts for Alice.

"... Terrific." Alice however was more nervous about these facts than delighted.

The idea of someone who would definitely be hunting her, could exercise with boulders, and use spears to an endless supply was nerve-wracking to a maximum degree. It would definitely be a long ordeal simply trying to evade Undyne but should she ever face her, Alice felt she would be in a unfavorable position. Deciding to try to cheer herself up, she turned back to her old habits of preferring to be in the right.

"Still, you shouldn't be troubling or worrying your parents like this Monster Kid. What if you were to disappear or be caught by some malevolent being?" Alice scolded Monster Kid, wagging her finger.

 _Like Flowey or Chara,_ she thought as distinct examples of malevolent beings.

"S-sorry… it's always been a goal of mine to see her for myself and I decided after seeing your determination and hearing about your adventure that I wanted to do it. So hey, don't tell my parents I'm here. Ha ha." Monster Kid chuckled sheepishly.

"Sigh... I suppose I don't have much of a choice do I? You're in a sense more independent than I am. Very well, I'll keep it secret. Just be sure to hurry on back home when you do see her." Alice conceded with humility and decided to approach the lizard monster standing by the flower.

"This is an Echo Flower. It repeats the last thing it heard, over and over…" They said.

"An Echo Flower? My, the Underground has the most curious flowers…" Alice spoke as she sniffed the flower.

To her surprise as she sniffed it fragrantly, it suddenly start to speak to her. Alice began to realize it was a form of mimicry but it was still interesting to hear it say,

"An Echo Flower? My, the Underground has the most curious flowers…"

"OH!" Alice stepped back as she cried out in surprise.

"Neat, huh?" The monster asked her.

"I can definitely see how it might be neat. Thank you for identifying it for me." Alice said gratefully.

She wondered if Flowey was related to this Echo Flower even though he did maintain that he was a unique species. After all if Echo Flowers had mimicry, Flowey may have some evolved form of that which allowed him to talk and have his own sort of will and mindset. As for the Echo Flower itself, Alice wondered if it would allow her to overhear previous conversations from before she arrived if she used it properly. _That could be useful for gathering information,_ she believed. As the rushing river filled Alice's ears with a sound of DETERMINATION, she decided there was only one last monster to talk to. She approached San's new station a bit hesitantly as she felt as though she had been seeing him an awful lot throughout this exploration of the Underground. As well as the fact he never did tell her what his nightmare was like.

"what? haven't you seen a guy with two jobs before?" Sans asked when he took notice of Alice.

"I would say 'yes' but in this case it is a skeleton with two jobs that occur at precisely the same time so no." Alice replied as she held one arm with the other and tried to avoid making eye contact.

"fortunately, two jobs means twice as many legally-required breaks. i'm going to grillby's wanna come?"" Sans asked as he leaned forward in his station.

"G-Grillby's…? Oh… well… may I ask why you would want to go there?" Alice asked, genuinely surprised by the offer.

After all, she had seen Grillby's for herself and discovered what there was to discover there. She was ready to move on… or was she really? If anything it would be a nice outing with Sans and maybe she could actually get something to eat just to keep her stomach full for the long journey. _This could also be my chance to find out what he couldn't tell me in front of Papyrus,_ Alice concluded. Although another curious thought came to Alice's mind. _How would I get there from here?_

"well it's my favorite place to eat, slack off, chat with people, slack off, eat some more, slack off some more, rinse and repeat. i mean grillby's is bygrill's y'know?" Sans winked as he made yet another joke.

"Ehehe… I see why you would choose it. I suppose it would be rude to decline a formal invitation but are we really going to walk all the way back there?" Alice asked.

"well if you insist on prying me away from my work… over here. i know a shortcut. close your eyes though." Sans said as he got up from his station and moved behind Alice.

"Close my eyes…? Is this shortcut supposed to remain se- oh!" Alice gasped as Sans put a bony hand to her left hand, holding it as though a gentleman escorting a fair lady.

Then Sans put his other hand over Alice's eyes, a position that would ensure him being able to lead Alice successfully forward. Alice wasn't at all scared, though maybe slightly startled at the sensation of Sans bony hands as well as that he actively physically grabbed her. It showed a sort of authority Sans possessed that reminded Alice that she was a guest in the Underground. Her other arm was left free and quickly made it's way held in front of her in a curious and hesitant way. Uncertain, Alice asked,

"W-will this shortcut really work…?"

"trust me kid, it's really fast. now one step, two step," Sans sounded strangely more relaxing when one of Alice's five human senses was gone and so she trusted him.

Alice walked forward, guided by Sans towards the destination that was supposedly a shortcut to Grillby's. She suddenly felt a bit embarrassed if the monster by the Echo Flower or Monster Kid saw all this and wondered what the exact shortcut was. This didn't really reflect on her face fortunately enough and so after what felt like 20 steps, Alice suddenly noticed something different on that 21st step. She had just taken a step on a hardwood floor and not the earthy terrain of the Waterfall path. Alice knew what had happened but she couldn't make sense of how it happened beyond Sans teleporting her without even knowing it to Grillbys. Alice flinched nervously and Sans quickly shushed her to calm her down.

"relax ali, you're here safe and sound. told ya it was a fast pass." Sans' soothing tone was added by releasing his grasp on Alice.

Alice soon saw she was indeed inside Grillbys again and none of the customers had seemed to leave from where Alice had last saw them. Everyone was still in their same seats, even doing the same actions. She had to admit there was something unusual about such a coincidence but she had no evidence to really confirm anything. Several of the customers, including Doggo and Dogaressa even waved hello to her again… or maybe it was Sans they were waving to. Alice wasn't sure quite of how to respond so she just wordlessly waved hello with a simple smile. It was commonly good manners that if you are invited over to a public place by a host, you let that host speak first and set things up. Trying to initiate some sort of plans of your own would risk disrupting the plans of the host and are best left to the host to begin with. So Sans, being the host, had the stage.

"hello everybody."

What followed afterward was many of the customer's saying hello back to Sans. The most amusing of these responses to Alice was the drunk rabbits 'Hiya, Sansy~". As she and Sans moved towards the front counter, the fish man quickly spoke up,

"Hey Sans, weren't you just here for breakfast a few minutes ago?"

"nah, i haven't had breakfast in at least half an hour. you must be thinking about brunch." Sans said.

"Oh yes! Brunch! Me and my sister would often have a lovely Sunday brunch with some delicious toast and tea and crumpets and some fine offerings of…" Alice, getting a bit caught up in showing her knowledge, spoke unconsciously and her words were swallowed up by bellowing laughter from the customers.

From the sounds of it they had a fondness and a fine taste for Sans rather lowbrow humor. Alice hadn't respected that and so she made herself seem a bit pompous. Wearing a frown on her face caused Sans to notice Alice's disappointment in herself.

"oh hey alice, get comfy." Sans said patting on one of two vacant stools.

"Thank you Sans…" Alice said with a bit of a sigh as she was worrying about this being a good idea or not.

However, upon sitting down on her stool, she quickly heard a 'whoosh' and a deflating noise. Knowing the origin of this sound caused Alice to look surprised and slightly happier at the fact she had triggered a whoopie cushion. Sans next words confirmed this,

"whoops, watch where you sit down. sometimes weirdos put whoopee cushions on the seats."

"Well I don't think of you as a weirdo. You are a loving and caring brother to Papyrus and a very pleasant to talk to gentlemen." Alice leaned her arms on the counter and folded her hands delicately as she complimented Sans.

"... huh… w-well i don't hear that everyday. at least from a human. anyways, let's order." Sans looked a bit caught off-guard at Alice's flowering praise and blushed.

"Order…? Oh um… what sort of selection do they have…? Fries? Burger…? I am familiar with French Fries but what exactly is a burger?" Alice asked as she hadn't really heard the term 'burger' before.

It sounded a bit foreign, perhaps as though it was in a different country of origin than England. It probably was delicious but Alice didn't feel confident in being adventurous in her cuisine when she was trapped Underground. Furthermore it was lucky enough of her to even find this society that had so much access to food when one normally would describe the Underground as quite barren.

"it's a cooked meat patty placed between two buns with some toppings placed inside like cheese or pickles or my personal favorite ketchup." Sans explained cheerfully.

"Hmm… sounds like a perfect dish for lunch then I suppose. Hmm… well I have to say though that French Fries is something I don't really get to try very often for being so greasy and I'm familiar with them so I shall take those please." Alice selected her meal.

"hey, that sounds pretty good. grillby, we'll have a double order of fries." Sans held a finger up as he recounted the order to Grillby.

Grillby quickly moved to the back room, presumably where the kitchen was, with a gentlemanly stride that impressed Alice. Sans then scratched his head as though insecure about the whole thing or trying to come up with something. Alice was a patient lass and quite frankly more nervous about all this than Sans so she waited. Eventually her patience was rewarded.

"so, what do you think… of my brother?" He asked her.

"Oh, Papyrus? Well I am delighted to know such a charming and caring character. He really is polite and so supportive. I can understand why you told me about how much you care for him and why you love him so much. I wish I had someone like him in my life." Alice answered proudly.

 _Even if he can be a bit nutty and misguided at times,_ Alice giggled to herself. She appreciated what interacting with Papyrus brought of her. It allowed her to share her knowledge without being overbearing, have lots of laughs, and also partake in riddles and games. It was a personality she didn't really know of in uptight and distinguished England. Naturally she wasn't bored in England and there was a lot of politeness and honor in that society, it was just her curious mind gravitated towards more whimsical personalities and interests. Her answer seemed to impress Sans who chuckled happily.

"of course he's charming. you'd be charming too if you were that outfit every day. he'd only take that thing off if he absolutely had to."

"Personally… I don't think it would suit my taste… but it definitely works for him." Alice admitted.

"well there can only be one great papyrus and 'great alice' doesn't have the same ring to it. hehe… at least he washes it. and by that i mean he wears it in the shower." Sans teased.

"Really? Hmm… I do hear of modest people who take showers in their undergarments to stay clean… err... " Alice suddenly felt a bit ridiculous talking about such an asinine topic.

Fortunately, Grillby showed up with their order. In a small paper container was a great deal of perfectly cooked fries. There were two containers, one for her and Sans. They smelled delicious and appeared to be freshly made. Alice recovered from her self-conscious state to smile and feel more at ease.

"Thank you sir. These look quite appetizing." Alice declared her gratitude towards Grillby along with a head nod.

"want some ketchup?" Sans asked Alice.

"Hmm? Oh yes please, some ketchup sounds nice." Alice accepted.

"bone appetit." Sans handed Alice the ketchup bottle and winked at her.

Alice could've taken the time to examine what sort of brand or company created the ketchup but she had no real interest to. Although after what transpired, she wished she had. As soon as she had tipped the ketchup bottle at an angle to pour onto her fries, the cap fell off and all the ketchup in the bottle splattered onto her fries and a bit on the counter too. It was not the fault of Alice being clumsy or something trivial like that, but rather it seemed whoever used it last did not tighten the cap properly. Alice felt slightly ashamed though at creating a mess in a place she had learned something valuable in. _I should be more careful next time,_ she warned herself.

"whoops. eh, forgeddaboudit. you can have mine. i'm not hungry anyway." Sans offered.

"Are you sure Sans…? I mean you do have to pay…" Alice frowned.

"hey, you're a guest, the bill's on me. you don't have to be so responsible all the time. sometimes you just got to go with the blood flow and let your friends handle things." Sans made a far-fetched pun but he did make a good point.

After all, if Alice got too ahead of herself and began doing things thinking she knew best, it could backfire spectacularly on her. Plus it would be proper manners to let her friends help her out when she really need them to help her. Like Toriel with learning about the Ruins or Napstablook with the puzzles and so on. So Alice straightened out her skirt and took a fry from Sans' container and dipped it into the ketchup-covered mess that was her own container and took a bite. It was one of the best things she had eaten so far down in the Underground with a nice crisp texture and a perfectly rich ketchup. It definitely made up for the lacking, though special, spaghetti she had eaten and made Alice respect Grillby as a cook. So feeling cheerful and beginning to eat a bit, Alice said to Sans,

"You are right. I shouldn't push away my friends by being too self-reliant."

"you know, you really can take care of yourself alice and you try hard. that's pretty admirable. it reminds me of the lengths papyrus goes when he puts his bonehead to it. like how he keeps trying to be part of the royal guard. one day, he went to the house of the head of the royal guard… and begged her to to let him be in it." Sans chronicled an interesting tale to Alice.

"... You mean he visited Undyne in person before he even knew her? Does that mean she lives around here somewhere?" Alice asked, taking a momentary break from devouring the fries.

 _If she lives around here,_ Alice reasoned, _I need to be careful not to trespass or be caught._

"oh yeah, she lives right around waterfall. you can't miss it. of course, she shut the door on him because it was midnight and there was no ball going on. but the next day, she woke up and saw him still waiting there." Sans added significant details to his story.

"He camped outside her home? Well… I must say that does sound a bit like him." Alice looked to her fries as she considered how familiar that sounded.

Papyrus had waited in the exact same spot for her even after she was captured the first time. Considering all that had been going on, she had no time to stop and think about how long Papyrus may have been waiting for her to try again. As well as all the puzzles he had set up with such careful precision, placing key components where they needed to be, and vice versa. Papyrus was the kind of person who didn't mind how long it would take to accomplish something, he would just dedicate himself to it and never quit or slack off. So that was probably why he was still going at being a Royal Guard even if it seemed he was struggling a bit with what they did. It was an enviable trait, a DETERMINATION that it seemed Papyrus alone possessed. It reminded Alice of the fact that these monsters were so complex and with such different personalities. No matter what first impression she got, there was bound to be more to them than you can possibly gather from a first meeting. By being a Pacifist, she had allowed herself the chance to get to know them better and keep her soul pure. Or at least pure by Underground standards, for human standards she would've likely been scolded for talking to so many strangers and talking about things that people her age wasn't expected to know yet.

"seeing his dedication, she decided to give him warrior training. it's, uh, still a work in progress." Sans shrugged his shoulders as he finished his story.

"True, he mentioned Undyne is teaching him how to cook. She seems like a friendly person." Alice said.

"she's pretty hot-headed but you won't find another monster down here with more guts, bravery, and pride than her. you could say she… firecracks me up." Sans joked again.

Alice simply nodded as she was still trying to get a picture of who Undyne was. A cold and formidable huntress? Or a more compassionate and sensitive warrior like Papyrus and Sans were saying. Either way she was dreading encountering her with all this mystery and concerns on her mind. Suddenly something unusual happened. It seemed as though everyone else in the bar was shrouded in darkness or at least not present. The only thing Alice could definitely focus on was Sans and her meal and the small space around them. Alice wasn't sure what exactly happened to make it like this and was about to ask Sans when he opened up by saying,

"oh yeah, i wanted to ask you something. have you ever heard of a talking flower?"

"...!" Alice couldn't hide her eyes widening and her brief loss of breath at that question.

There were two possible interpretations of who or what Sans was asking her about with that question. One, he was asking about Flowey. He was definitely a talking flower but a deadly one with indescribable power and being quite mysterious. Still, Alice didn't feel comfortable with throwing his name out to the monsters yet. What if he was truly infamous? What if Flowey got enraged with her and attacked her for doing that? Also, she felt there was more she needed to know about him, especially given his goals and connection to Chara. The second was that Sans was asking Alice about the Echo Flowers that she had just learned about. That was by far the safest route to take with answering him.

"Y-yes… I have heard of a talking flower." Alice placed her hands in her lap as she gave an anxious reply.

"so you know all about it. the echo flower. they're all over the marsh. say something to them, they'll repeat it over and over.." Sans seemed to be looking wistful as he spoke.

Alice was very relieved he was indeed talking about the Echo Flower and not Flowey. It would've been very hard for her to explain anything about him and he wasn't sure what Sans' thoughts on him were. Still she also wasn't sure why Sans was asking her about that specifically.

"What about it?" She pined for information.

"well, papyrus told me something interesting the other day. sometimes, when no one else is around… a flower appears and whispers things to him. flattery… advice… encouragement… predictions. weird, huh?" Sans explained.

"... D-does he know the flower's name?" Alice asked looking extremely pale.

"nope, makes me think that someone's using an echo flower to play a trick on him. keep an eye out, ok? thanks."

As the light returned to the room, Alice looked very disturbed and kept blinking rapidly as her mind processed what she heard. Literally, the only conclusion she could come upon was that Papyrus had met Flowey before and it seemed Flowey was on strangely friendly terms with him. _But there's no reasonable way that could be possible,_ Alice thought as she recalled the hostility the flower displayed with her and his lack of care for the monsters. Papyrus certainly was lovable and endearing but would it really change the mind of a malevolent flower that significantly for them to talk together? It was that moment Sans got up from his seat and turned to look back at Alice.

"welp, that was a long break. i can't believe i let ya pull me away from work for that long. oh, by the way… i'm flat broke. can you foot the bill?" He asked.

That question was enough to help Alice recover some of her composure though she couldn't mask how startled that last tale had made her.

"How much do you need?" She asked as she began scrambling through her pockets.

"10000G."

"I don't nearly have that much…" Alice said with a frown.

"aww don't worry about it. i was just pulling your leg-bone. grillby, put it on my tab." Sans waved his hand dismissively at Alice to reassure her that she didn't need to pay for anything.

"That was quite sly of you to ask me that when you had enough." Alice teased as Sans made his way to the entrance before stopping.

"by the way… i was going to say something, but i forgot…" Sans said a silly statement and then left Grillby's and Alice.

Alice sighed and spent several more minutes eating as much fries as she felt would keep her full for her journey. She realized she missed her chance to ask about the nightmare as well, probably due to being so stunned by the stories she heard. She accepted that she would have to try asking again if she saw Sans again. Then once she was done, she migrated over back to where she initially started in Waterfall. The quality one on one time with Sans though wasn't something she regretted despite having to make this long walk again. It also seemed important that there was some evidence towards Flowey and Papyrus knowing each other though she wasn't sure what. It did disturb her a little that the flower was revealing themselves to certain people in the Underground. He had declared a desire to rule it so was he trying to recruit moles or spies? She knew Papyrus wouldn't sell her out though and she trusted him as much as he did Alice. So it was debatable on what to do about it. So passing by the sentry station, she noticed her first true glimpse of Waterfall's environment. A puddle of water above the same sort of path she was going down due to a magnificent waterfall that was flowing down. Strange rocks would fall from the waterfall from time to time and down the puddle. which also seemed to lead into another waterfall. She also noticed a box strikingly similar to the one in Snowdin's Forest with a similar sign. 'You can put an item in or take it out. Why would you, though? You can't use items when they're in the box! Sincerely, a box hater'

"Huh… it seems not everyone is a supporter of boxes down here." Alice exclaimed with some amusement.

She then noticed there was a stairway to her left that led down the cliffside and so she headed downward. As she went downward and found herself on a straight path again, she saw the waterfall up close and was spellbound by it's beauty. It was also particularly calm even with the rushing water. The rocks continued to fall down the waterfall though but Alice knew it was her only way to get across. So dashing carefully but quickly down the path, she managed to avoid all the falling rocks and reach the other side safely. She saw a Echo Flower and decided to see what it had to say. 'I swore I saw something… Behind that rushing water.' Alice was a tad bit curious to see what was behind the waterfall and decided it was worth exploring so she decided to go for it. Going back up the stairway, she glimpsed through the waterfall as she carefully avoided more falling rocks and saw there was a secret entrance within. Enduring the rush of water, although she was a bit chilled from the impact, she found a hidden room with two luminous blue and white mushrooms and what looked like a tutu lying on the ground.

"Hmm.. this looks like a human's tutu… poor thing. I wonder what happened to them." Alice thought a bit gloomily when she realized what it meant.

She decided to leave it be for she didn't really need to put it on and quickly left the room through the waterfall and made it to the other side. Taking her time to dry herself the best she could, she then continued on her way. She came across what looked like a strange sort of path with a rocky wall that could be climbed over if you carried a stepladder, starry lights along the wall, and a thicket of grass in front of Alice. Some brief reservations about potentially running into some sort of bugs or creatures in the grass did make Alice very nervous but she had to keep going. So getting onto her hands and knees, as she felt that would be the safest way to get through the grass and keep herself hidden she crawled into the thicket of grass. Suddenly, she felt as though a great shadow was looming over her and she heard the footsteps of someone approaching nearby. However these footsteps appeared to be coming from higher ground, like the wall of earth that was to Alice's right. Alice suddenly had a dreadful thought, what if there was someone on that wall looking out for her? Her suspicions were unexpectedly confirmed by a voice she didn't imagine hearing so soon,

"H… HI, UNDYNE! I'M HERE WITH MY DAILY REPORT.. UHHH… REGARDING THAT HUMAN I CALLED YOU ABOUT EARLIER…"

Alice's mind was drawing so many blanks at the moment and she could only clasp her hands over her mouth terrified. She wasn't so much afraid of Papyrus, but it was clear he was right there talking to Undyne. She had a perfect view of the path from up there and if Alice was spotted, Undyne would no doubt go straight after her and there would be little chance of survival. Alice looked up as much as she could through the blades of grass but didn't see anyone hanging over the wall, let alone Papyrus. So with little to go on, Alice continued to listen carefully to their conversation and tried to remain as silent as possible.

"...HUH? DID I FIGHT THEM? Y-YES! OF COURSE I DID! I FOUGHT THEM VALIANTLY!" Papyrus recounted with his usual passion.

Alice couldn't hear Undyne, or at least another voice, at all despite Papyrus finishing his statement. It was scarier not being able to identify who Undyne was even when she was hovering over Alice somewhere.

"...WHAT? DID I CAPTURE THEM…?" W-W-WELL… NO. I TRIED VERY HARD, UNDYNE, BUT IN THE END… I FAILED." Papyrus confessed a bit glumly.

A pause.

"...W-WHAT? YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE THE HUMAN'S SOUL YOURSELF… B-BUT UNDYNE, YOU DON'T H-HAVE TO DESTROY THEM! YOU SEE… YOU SEE…"

Another pause, longer than the first.

"... I UNDERSTAND. I'LL HELP YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN." Papyrus's last words before he walked away.

 _He knows what would happen if I get captured,_ Alice who was now sweating bullets told herself, _so doesn't really intend to help her. He can't possibly throw me to the wolves…_ Alice then tried moving through the grass but the rustling turned out to be noisier than she expected and she instantly stopped once she heard footsteps approaching. Alice, on the verge of tears, looked up to the wall and finally saw her first glimpse of Undyne. She was wearing a magnificent but intimidating suit of armor, soulless white eyes peering through the helmet's visor and a profound red ponytail emerging behind her. Her true identity and species of monster was hidden by the imposing armor but there was no mistake that she was clearly powerful and a huntress. Even more startling was that Undyne was clearly looking for her, and summoned what appeared to be a blue spear of magic into her left hand. She grasped it with a perfect stance for throwing the spear at a target of her choice. Alice kept perfectly still, desperately controlling herself from panicking. Thankfully, after several tense moments of Undyne scanning the grass, she seemed to walk back and presumably leave.

"Ngh… uuu…" Alice wailed to herself as she crawled desperately out of the grass and to her feet.

What she didn't expect was Monster Kid popping out of the grass behind her, moving about excitedly.

"Yo… did you see the way she was staring at you…?" He asked.

"With an intent to kill…" Alice replied grimly and shivered.

"That… was AWESOME! I'm SOOOO jealous! What'd you do to get her attention?" Monster Kid replied jubilantly.

"... Exist… were you in the grass before I was?" Alice asked confused after making a half-hearted joke.

"Oh yeah! I'm going to finally meet Undyne! There's no use denying it, this is my time to finally make one of my dreams come true! Ha ha. C'mon! Let's go watch her beat up some bad guys!" Monster Kid explained and declared his own determination.

Monster Kid then sprinted forward but then clumsily tripped and fell onto his face, skidding somewhat along the ground. Alice was about to make a move to help the poor monster up but he managed to actually pull himself off from the ground and stand again. He then kept sprinting forward, further into Waterfall. Alice had to note that his unbridled optimism, at this moment, was just as enviable as Papyrus's effort. There was a strong feeling of dread hanging over Alice and for a moment she considered just heading back the way she came. Undyne had made her first appearance known and it was among the scariest things Alice had experienced since coming down here in the Underground. She would be coming after her for her SOUL and even Papyrus seemed to not be able to stop her. Yet…

"I said I would see him again… I have to reunite with him at least… here in Waterfall. So I must keep going." Alice spoke aloud.

Napstablook, the friendly ghost from the Ruins lived here in Waterfall. Regardless of it being the domain of Undyne and currently a hunting ground for her, Alice did still want to explore the Underground and see him again. Besides, Alice knew she had DETERMINATION within her that had proven to pacify Toriel and Papyrus as well as expel Chara from her body. She possessed power that she never imagined having and she could use it to save herself and potentially the monsters from being trapped down here. These thoughts… these memories… all renewed Alice's willpower and she knew she had to keep moving. With no more doubts in her mind, and no place to turn to that wasn't new and exciting, Alice entered the depths of Waterfall.

To Be Continued...


	14. Starry, Starry Nightmare

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 13 Starry, Starry Nightmare

So Alice went onward to the next area when she noticed something surprising. There were four seedlings with some kind of pink bloom on them waiting to blossom and there was no bridge connecting her side with the other side. Unless Alice swam against the potentially overwhelming current of the water, she had reached a dead end. _I'm glad Undyne didn't spot me earlier or she surely would've cornered me here,_ Alice thought as she gulped and looked for any clues. She found one in what appeared to be more than just a simple sign hung up on the wall but rather an ancient looking text. Incredibly, it was in English and not hieroglyphics or other similar drawings like Alice had heard about in her history book. It said 'When four Bridge Seeds align in the water, they will sprout.'

"Bridge Seeds? Hmm… well that would certainly be cost-efficient towards making paths to cross." Alice spoke thoughtfully as she realized they were the seedlings she saw.

Granted she knew what they were now and had an idea of what they did, but Alice was worried about putting them into the water in case they sank. Alas, she didn't really have any other options and so Alice picked up one of the rather wet and slightly slimy seedlings and placed it into the water. It floated gently yet strangely quickly to the other side and landed against it. It didn't quite blossom yet but it seemed to be staying where Alice needed it to stay. Alice couldn't help but be more curious when they would blossom and so she quickly put the other seedlings into the water. They all floated alongside one another in a path from Alice's side to the other and then… blossomed. They turned into beautiful pink flowers with four petals, big green heart-shaped leaves, and a lotus-based scent. Now the trickiest part was crossing what would normally be considered as very delicate things. Alice lifted her skirts carefully and placed one foot on the first flower. Surprisingly it was as sturdy as the rocks she recalled crossing before in the park.

"Wow, when I get home I shall write a book about this place…" Alice reminisced, clearly amazed by the feat of the flowers, and crossed the rest to the other side.

Alice had to admit that while one could find this moving from an area to the next tedious, she herself was thoroughly enjoying herself by the opportunity to learn more about the Underground. The next area appeared to have shiny things along the wall and floor, bridges, a lone sign in the water, and that was just on her first glance. However she quickly encountered someone who seemed to be flexing his way over to her. It was a very curious creature that appeared to be half horse and half mermaid with a very, very, VERY muscular build and arms. It had a fairly groomed mane and a rather confident expression. It appeared to be called Aaron which was actually a rather normal name compared to some of the other monsters Alice had encountered. It appeared this seahorse had a lot of HP (horsepower) as well which was a little silly. _This world of my own really does admire it's acronyms,_ Alice thought as she looked slightly anxious at the creature. Then somehow she understood that his attacks were harder to dodge at the bottom of the box… even though there clearly wasn't a box to be found.

"CHECK all you want ; )." Aaron said in a rather slimy and seductive tone.

Drops of sweat seemed to be flung at Alice as Aaron striked very bodybuilder-esque poses and Alice decided to move forward towards Aaron as it seemed there was more space to dodge the attacks there. It succeeded and Alice watched as Aaron admired his own muscles in a very vain sort of way. Alice felt like challenging Aaron in that regard and she flexed her muscles in response, finding childish glee in doing so. Aaron saw Alice's act and flexed even more than before.

"Flexing contest? Ok, flex more ; )." Aaron said.

"Well not so much a contest… and could you kindly cease winking at me?" Alice asked feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"No. ; )."

"... Well then shame on you!" Alice growled in annoyance as she dodged what appeared to be muscles of magic shooting forth at her.

Aaron appeared to be ready for Alice's next flex so Alice tried to flex as hard as she could. She had a feeling her sister would disapprove of this whole spectacle but to begin with her sister wouldn't have approved of her coming down here alone. Aaron both seemed to gain increased strength and Aaron repeated the same request of Alice to flex more. Once again Alice dodged a number of magical flexing muscles before she gave yet another impressive flex. _This certainly makes me feel quite confident,_ Alice thought to herself.

"Nice! I won't lose though ; )." Aaron actually complimented Alice as he winked this time which raised her opinion of him a smidge more.

With one final flex, Alice saw Aaron flex very hard… and seemingly flex himself out of the room altogether! Alice waved goodbye to the merhorse as she collected some G and carried on her way. With more space to see, Alice soon found several mushrooms, and four Bridge Seeds lying on the ground. She was curious about the sign in the water but decided that maybe this was a chance to practice with her DETERMINATION to uncover it for herself without wasting the Bridge Seeds. So she walked over to the edge of the lake where the sign was and harnessing her DETERMINATION to uncover the sign, she summoned a golden glass bottle. It was going to serve as a makeshift boat for Alice as it bobbed up and down like a buoy in the water. Climbing inside, Alice pushed the inside of the bottle to find that her DETERMINATION felt strangely warm and seemed to match the same texture as glass or perhaps china. Considering it had been described as a fragment of her SOUL and that the things Alice had conjured with it had been out of her imagination, it seemed that DETERMINATION had a great deal of properties. Similar to the chemical elements Alice had been learning about in science class.

"So what does that sign say…?" Alice asked as she neared the front of the sign.

She couldn't hold back her amusement in a giggle when she read 'Congratulations! You failed the puzzle!' What the sign had not counted on was Alice's cleverness and choice to not use the Sprout Seeds and so Alice now had a good idea of what to do with them. Returning to shore and dispelling the bottle so she could get on land, Alice continued to investigate the area. The little girl noticed another sign and what appeared to be some sort of bell despite the bell smelling and looking much more like a flower. This sign read 'If an error is made, the Bell Blossom can call Bridge Seeds back to where they started'. _How would that even work?_ Alice asked herself as she felt slight curiousity in finding out how it worked but also greater satisfaction at having not made a mistake. She noticed a section of land to her left that seemed like the right amount of distance for the Bridge Seeds to work effectively. So she took her time to set the Bridge Seeds into place to create the linking path and sure enough, she succeeded and could move on. As she reached the other side of the land she suddenly heard her phone ring.

"Hmm? Now who…" Alice started asking herself but quickly realized that she had a good idea of who it would be.

"HELLO! THIS IS PAPYRUS! HOW DID I GET THIS NUMBER…? IT WAS EASY! I JUST DIALED EVERY NUMBER SEQUENTIALLY UNTIL I GOT YOURS!" Papyrus's jovial voice confirmed her suspicions.

"Ehehe, Papyrus, we exchanged phone numbers earlier remember? To symbolize our new bond." Alice corrected him with a grin.

Despite his interactions with Undyne, Alice felt as though she could trust Papyrus as he knew what would happen to Alice if she was captured and it was something he definitely didn't desire for her. Plus it was always comforting to hear his voice… even if it felt like she had been constantly running into Papyrus and Sans when she least expected it. Which wasn't anything bad but rather unexpected and made Alice feel desperate to think of things to liven up the conversation.

"OH… EXPLAINS HOW I GOT YOU ON MY FIRST TRY! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH! GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN ALICE. SO… WHAT ARE YOU WEARING…? I'M… ASKING FOR A FRIEND? SHE THOUGHT SHE SAW YOU WEARING A DUSTY TUTU. IS THAT TRUE? ARE YOU WEARING A DUSTY TUTU?" He asked in a hilariously poor attempt to be subtle.

"I did come across a tutu but it certainly wasn't something I put on. I left it where it was. I'm simply wearing the same outfit I've been wearing since Snowdin." Alice answered honestly.

 _Ironic how I can be honest with the brother who's clearly being sneaky when I can't be honest with the brother who makes goofy puns,_ Alice thought when comparing how she could answer more truthfully with Papyrus here than opposed to Sans at times.

"SO YOU ARE WEARING THE CAPE SANS PROVIDED AND A LOVELY DOLL DRESS. GOT IT! WINK WINK! HAVE A NICE DAY!" Papyrus replied charismatically and the call was ended.

"... Well it's clear he has to do something to appease to Undyne. After all, outright disobeying her orders could jeopardize his dream and I know he wouldn't want that." Alice wisely deciphered the meaning behind Papyrus's words and thus didn't feel betrayed in the slightest.

In fact it was perhaps more comforting that he was doing it in a way that was obvious, it gave Alice some information she could use to prepare herself. Undyne now had a vague idea of what she looked like so Alice knew that if she met Undyne, she had the justification to keep her distance and retaliate should Undyne aggress on her. However Papyrus had pointed out something about the tutu Alice didn't realize. It had indeed been dusty and recalling her nightmares about when Toriel turned to dust upon death… was it dusty with the dust that gathered over time, or the monster's dust…? Either way, Alice knew she had to keep going and so she entered the next area and found herself mesmerized by it's beauty. It appeared to be a corridor and the ceiling looked like a night sky, black and containing dazzling stars. There were also more Echo Flowers and a sign hanging upon the wall. Alice, careful not to say anything, approached the closest Echo Flower to see what it had to say.

"A long time ago, monsters would whisper their wishes to the stars in the sky. If you hoped with all of your heart, your wish would come true. Now, all we have are these sparkling stones on the ceiling…" It recounted.

"Oh so those are stones… still this is breathtaking… they really do like stars." Alice said aloud to herself as she gaze at the ceiling once more.

As if to confirm the Echo Flower's message, the sign said 'WISHING ROOM'. _I wonder what sort of wish I should make here,_ Alice thought as she turned to the next Echo Flower.

"Thousand of people wishing together can't be wrong! The king will prove that."

"... *Sigh*" Alice felt a bit down after hearing the Echo Flower's mimicry.

It seemed as though whoever said that was someone who believed passionately in breaking the barrier and supported the king's methods of doing such. It felt a bit frustrating to Alice that she couldn't find anything to disprove their honest desire of being free. Had the situation between humans and monsters been reversed, Alice probably would've done the same and said the same things. The idea though of being seen as a 'device to break the barrier' rather than a 'human being' in the Underground seemed very depressing to her as it meant it was even harder to break first impressions. She was fortunate enough to have learned how to pacify them from Toriel and become popular in Snowdin but she knew it would only grow harder the closer she reached the king's castle. It also made her wonder what King Asgore was like, given he was a person willing to kill an innocent life for his people's sake.

"C'mon sis! Make a wish!" The third Echo Flower said.

"Hmm… sounds like there were siblings here… I wonder who- OH!" Alice gasped as a strange creature shuffled up to her.

The best way to describe it was a living bathtub with a blank expression upon it's round face, filled with water inside it's strange body with a bird sitting it in. There was something very sweet about it's appearance that made Alice feel less nervous about the sudden encounter though she quickly identified it as Woshua. A humble germophobe who seeks to cleanse the whole world. _Such an ambitious goal,_ Alice thought with a smile. To Alice's amazement, the bird actually tweeted, defining that it was very much a genuine feathered fellow with Woshua. As for Woshua itself, it spoke with a very squeaky voice that was true to it's squeaky clean nature.

"Scrub a dub-dubs." It said.

Then to Alice's surprise, a slippery soap bar was flung at her and it bonked her on the head. Alice muttered a quick 'ow' and rubbed her head as she hadn't anticipated such an attack and watched it slide away as she smelled a very strong, chemical aroma. Alice had a hunch that she knew of a perfect way to pacify Woshua and so she asked him,

"Could you kindly clean me please? I haven't exactly been able to take a bath since I've been here."

Woshua hopped around excitedly, clearly fond of the idea as the bird tweeted once more.

"Green means clean." It said.

Then a rush of water droplets emerged from it's body and were sent forth at Alice in a spiral formation. To her surprise, she noticed some of the droplets were green and when she made contact with them, it not only did clean her, but she felt a sense of recovery. It was definitely making Alice feel happier to assist Woshua in looking for some good, clean fun but she knew it was ready to pacify.

"Thank you kindly for cleaning me. I hope you achieve you dream." Alice said with a curtsy.

Woshua slipped and slided away and left Alice free to see what the fourth Echo Flower's message was,

"I wish my sister and I will see the real stars someday…"

 _Sister…_ Alice was quickly reminded of her own sister that she had left behind and thus she greatly approved and supported this wish. The next thing Alice noticed after this Echo Flower was a simple metal telescope. Despite the fact that it was already proven the 'stars' on the ceiling were false, Alice found it admirable and quite professional of the Underground to still provide a telescope should one want to look at them more closely. So Alice peered into the telescope and saw that the 'stars' on the ceiling were still very breathtaking and twinkled like diamonds. She made sure to investigate all angles that were possible through the telescope and that's when she spotted a secret message. 'Check Wall' with an arrow pointing up. _My, it's as if Papyrus's puzzles extended all the way down here_. Alice thought as she realized for the first time this was supposedly a dead end. There was no exit but there was a big wall along the top side of the room which was probably the one that needed to be checked. Still there was one last Echo Flower Alice had yet to check and so she approached it.

"Ah… seems my horoscope is the same as last week's…" It said amusingly as Alice chuckled.

Considering these weren't real stars on the ceiling, such a mix-up would be utterly unavoidable. With little to lose, Alice moved onto the wall that she was told to check and as she firmly placed her palm on the wall, the wall seemed to shatter into pieces and open up a new doorway for Alice to cross. As she did so, she noticed some beautiful river weed plants and that she appeared to be in swamp-like territory. She also noticed several signs lined left to right along a wall and a strange stairway. It appeared to be an ancient writing of the monsters and while it did look complicated, some characters were recognized by Alice. So she was able to make out a pretty clear message as it seemed that these texts were referring to some sort of story.

"The War of Humans and Monsters.' … Oh dear... " Alice whimpered as she realized this text would no doubt have a bigger meaning and potentially sad moral behind it.

"Why did the humans attack? Indeed, it seemed that they had nothing to fear. Humans are unbelievably strong. It would take the SOUL of nearly every monster… just to equal the power of a single human SOUL." Alice continued to read.

 _That's what Chara was hinting at,_ Alice recalled as she deciphered the message. He had said that human SOULS are much more powerful but harder to truly use compared to monster SOULS. Alice had to agree with this fact after seeing how she was able to harness her DETERMINATION with such great proficiency after understanding it. Alice however had absolutely no answers for the first question. The unknown and paranormal did tend to make humanity paranoid across history but even then the monsters seemed relatively harmless. It seemed like a case where Alice had to have been there to understand why. Since she wasn't there, the answer would never be clear and Alice had no idea of what happened. The next message however brought up something interesting to her,

"But humans have one weakness. Ironically, it is the strength of their SOUL. Its power allows it to persist outside the human body, even after death.' … What on earth…?"

Alice stepped back a bit as she was simply confounded by what implications that had. Was it similar to becoming a ghost like Napstablook? But even then it would seem from past dreams and experiences that SOULS were shaped differently than what Napstablook was… and he was intangible. This was implying SOULS could be grabbed onto or possessed as if it was some trophy. Alice frowned at that ideology, how could anybody rest in peace under such rules? If anything it would mean they would be taken advantage of cruelly after having died whether it was a murder or by natural causes. This got Alice to thinking further about when Flowey had first attempted to kill her. Was it possible that if she died, Flowey would've taken her SOUL? Given that he announced his attention to become the ruler of this world it definitely seemed plausible.

"... I thought so. 'If a monster defeats a human, they can take its SOUL. A monster with a human SOUL… A horrible beast with unfathomable power." Alice read.

It was true then that if she did, any monster could use her life essence, the SOUL, to potentially become undefeatable. It also further explained why Asgore was collecting human SOULS in the hopes of breaking the barrier, if they really held that much power… freedom was bound to be attained. Alice couldn't help but feel a bit angry at this though. It felt disgraceful, a unlawful and despicable use of a human life as a power source. If her sister had died and had her SOUL used by someone down here… Alice would show them no mercy. 'Death' was, as many of the more social and religious figures around Alice's life called it, a release and an invitation into a peaceful sleep. This ruling about human SOULS seemed to drag that concept through the mud and ruin it.

"..." Alice remained in a silent fury as she looked at the final message and noticed it was a drawing.

It appeared to be of a very unsettling and strange creature. The very picture seemed to give off an ominous vibe and with the prior messages, appeared to be an example of a monster with a human SOUL. It only served to anger Alice even further to see that the use of an innocent human SOUL in such a cruel manner created this. With a controlled disposition, Alice eventually huffed to release her tense thoughts and stepped onto the path. However to her surprise, and startled shock, the path seemed to be a single block of stone that began floating towards the other side over what appeared to be a dark sea. Alice found that standing still didn't cause any sort of imbalance with her posture so she simply didn't move. This decision allowed Alice to make it to the other side safely and soundly. Feeling even more relieved and calm, if still a bit upset about her SOUL discovery, Alice kept moving.

Akin to a dock, she found herself crossing on a wooden bridge with the water being black as a night sky. Mysteriously there appeared to be some walls to her left with massive pillars that weren't as stoic or elegant as the ones in the ruins but rather seemed more broad and wide. It was more like a cathedral in that sense than ruins of some sort of temple. There was something odd though about the lighting… Alice felt as though it had seemingly become darker and she was being overshadowed by something. She didn't think of anything that came into mind though of what this could… mean…

"... I-is she…?" Alice whispered to herself as she suddenly felt goosebumps along her back.

The water was dark enough for one who could breathe underwater to hide in. The pillars big enough for someone to hide behind. Wide open space with only a straightforward bridge to cross and no other methods of passing along. It all seemed uncomfortably like a hunting ground with Alice being a lone target. It felt like a part of the circle of life, with Alice being a lone prey trying to harmlessly roam about before a predator would no doubt emerge out of the blue and strike. Then Alice had another thought, what if she was overthinking this? After all there was no proof she was here and she could clearly see everything. There were no bubbles in the water and no shadows around the pillars so Undyne couldn't have reasonably been there.

"R-right… I'm pretty certain she wouldn't be around… and if anything Papyrus would've let me known right…? I mean it's getting dreadfully dark… but I can still see shadows and I don't see Undyne's so-" Alice made the fatal mistake of unconsciously moving forward despite her reservations.

Perhaps it was her curiousity that led her to make the steps that would lead to something that indeed confirmed this was a hunting ground. Alice heard the sound of something plummeting, which was quickly proceeded by the sound of something being impaled in the ground.

"EEEEEEEEEKKK!" Alice screamed as she instinctively stepped back and looked around anxiously.

She soon caught the sight of it, a mysteriously blue and seemingly magical spear impaled into the bridge. It was very long and shaped like a traditional spear but it had a benevolence to it and it's clear it was just as pointed and deadly. Alice quickly adapted into survival instincts and looked around for the obvious huntswoman who threw it. Undyne emerged from the deepest shadows of what appeared to be the walls of the cathedral. She had never been behind the pillars and Alice had jumped to conclusions that she would've naturally hide herself there. So she quickly exposed herself to Undyne and was now at her mercy. Alice wasn't sure what to do so she first attempted to speak towards the scary guard.

"W-wait… M-Miss Undyne…! I-I'm not… I haven't done anything wrong!" She cried holding her hands out in front of her as though to gesture 'easy there'.

Unfortunately, especially compared to Papyrus, Undyne wasn't much for conversation. To Alice's surprise, not one, not two, but THREE spears akin to the same one that had now disappeared from the bridge were magically summoned in a flash of light and flung at Alice. Alice was more hurt than shocked Undyne didn't even reply to her plea and so she reacted accordingly. She dodged the spears as they passed her back and splashed into the water, violent ripples spreading like a parasol. Alice then proceeded to gather her skirts and dash as fast as she could across the bridge. However, Alice soon noticed not only was Undyne moving along the wall to keep up with her, but that some of the spears were flung in the direction Alice was heading. This made dodging the spears increasingly difficult as Undyne's aim was formidable and Alice had only the reflexes of a little girl. Alice soon found herself in the crosshairs of a flurry of spears when she made a misstep.

"Ngahhh!" Alice gasped when she barely avoided being impaled by a multitude of spears.

Her DETERMINATION to make it out of here alive soon began to sprout within her heart and she realized that she couldn't dodge Undyne's strikes like this forever. It was at that moment she felt herself invoking a cry for help to no one in particular… and had it be answered. Within moments, a golden woman could be seen walking across the bridge over by Alice, fanning herself with a strange fan shaped like a heart. Upon further inspection, she was a boisterous and fairly plump woman with short hair in a bun, an extravagant dress, and a crown on her head that symbolized her authority. To a lesser extent, her whole demeanor symbolized a pride and sense of regalness that was suitable for this woman. Alice had a mix of happiness at having summoned another ally to assist her and a crippling fear as she recognized who this DETERMINATION construct was. The Queen of Hearts. She didn't say anything, perhaps unable to do to her magical state and she took precise steps across the bridge fanning herself as though nothing was wrong. Undyne noticeably stopped hurling spears to examine this use of DETERMINATION with a slight tilt of her head. It was as if she was carefully observing and trying to figure out what this new prey that had revealed about themselves.

"Y-your majesty…" Alice unconsciously acknowledged the queen and curtsied politely as she had several nightmares about the infamous ruler.

It seemed this respectful treatment made the Queen of Hearts satisfied as she nodded at Alice and then held out her arm as though giving a decree. Two Card Soldiers of the same golden DETERMINATION arose from the water and quickly hopped onto the bridge. Specifically they were the One of Hearts and the Two of Clubs. Alice recalled Card Soldiers being divided between red and black but their golden appearance seemed to indicate no difference between them and they were wielding lances edged with their respective suit. Undyne felt a bit of a thrill building within her as she saw new opponents and that Alice was a tougher human than she expected. So she summoned several more spears and flung them at Alice to see what would happen next. The Queen of Hearts gave an inaudible roar and the two Card Soldiers rushed to Alice's side and perfectly parried the spears with their lances. Alice was surprised to see such efficiency, let alone that once antagonistic beings in her Wonderland were aiding her in the Underground. _Surely this is because they can sense my determination,_ Alice hypothesized.

"Thank you!" Alice showed her gratitude as she dashed across the bridge.

Undyne was clearly a bit irritated at the disruption and so she showed no mercy to the Card Soldiers and the Queen of Hearts and sent a flurry of spears at them as opposed to Alice. Alice did not look back for she was still quite nervous about Undyne's potency and about her chances of pacifying her at the moment. Shortly after, she could hear some painful-sounding noises akin to paper being pierced through and realized that Undyne must've defeated the DETERMINATION constructs that were left behind. Fortunately for her, she was able to find a very large and long meadow along the path similar to the one she had used to hide in before. Quickly getting onto her hands and knees, she entered the grass and did her best to make herself as cloaked as possible as she knew Undyne would be arriving eventually in pursuit. Curiously, she heard something rustling in the grass around her but she didn't have time to question it as echoing, heavy footsteps of someone wearing armor approached.

"*Thump* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump*..." The sounds soon stopped and Alice peered up as sneakily as she could to see Undyne hovering ominously over the area she was hidden in. There was definitely something particularly scary about seeing the helmet of Undyne up close than far away as it looked even more mysterious and driven. But nothing could compare to Undyne holding her arm to the sky, a manner fitting a snake coiling back before it's fatal bite. Alice gulped as quietly as she could for it seemed Undyne was about to try to grab her and she did her best to reduce the amount of space she was occupying to increase the odds of Undyne missing. However when Undyne did finally send forth her grasping arm, she did catch something. She pulled it up like a gladiator in the ring to see… the overjoyed expression of Monster Kid. Alice saw all this and had to admit it was extremely hard not to laugh at the circumstances and at the fact Monster Kid magically came to her side once again. _At least time I know he was in these bushes when before it seemed almost impossible,_ she exclaimed mentally. Clearly believing that Alice escaped, Undyne set Monster Kid down and went back the way she came. After guaranteeing that Undyne was gone, Alice quickly made her way through the meadow and exited on the other side. Quickly followed by a super excited Monster Kid.

"Oh Monster Kid, thank you so much for taking the fall that time. I was almost about to be captured and killed." Alice clasped her hands together and thanked Monster Kid.

"Yo… did you see that!? Undyne just… TOUCHED ME! I'm never washing my face ever again…!" Monster Kid cheered somewhat boastfully and missing Alice's point completely.

"... Well I suppose I'm happy you got that sort of contact with your idol but… wait how do you even wash your face when you don't possess arms?" Alice herself also lost the point of what she was saying when she was genuinely wondering about how Monster Kid pulled something like that off.

"Oh well I just um… mix a vat of water and soap and dive in!" Monster Kid replied.

"So essentially you take a bath… I understand," Alice admitted, suddenly feeling embarrassed she hadn't figured out such an easy answer.

"Man, are you unlucky. If you were just standing a LITTLE bit to the left…!" Monster Kid recounted in a way that made Alice feel even more flustered.

"N-no it's quite alright. My sister wouldn't want me to be touching strangers anyway… it seems this place is a lot more liberal in regards to how the citizens interact and meet."

"A sister? What's she like?! I have one too and she's awesome." Monster Kid seemed inspired by Alice's mention of her own sister and ran over to her like an eager student.

"My sister…? Well she's quite simply a very pleasant young woman and I look up to her for many things. She taught me manners, educated me, supported me, although never was quite as open to imagination as I was… I feel bad that I left her up above. If I had my way she would've at least come here with me." Alice tried not to get herself sad as she replied to Monster Kid.

It partly succeeded but Alice still couldn't help but wince every time she recounted her sister being trapped in the past while Alice had been whisked to the future via rabbit hole. Monster Kid seemed to sense Alice's struggle and to her own surprise, snuggled up against her. Without arms, it seemed this was a demonstration of an improvised hug from him.

"It's ok Alice! Maybe you'll find a new sister o-or maybe you can go back up above. I mean I bet Undyne could help too if you asked her nicely." Monster Kid offered.

"Why Monster Kid… that's very thoughtful of you. I appreciate your efforts to try to help me but it really is a dilemma that I must solve on my own. You should relax and have fun on your own time and don't bother with someone like me." Alice bravely made an attempt to push away Monster Kid in a way so he'd be safe and sound and uninvolved with Alice's own drama.

"Yo, don't worry! You've been a great friend so far and I'm sure we'll meet her again!" Monster Kid however seemed determined in his own right to support Alice in any way he could.

Before Alice could make another attempt to keep Monster Kid from being too involved, he ran off… or more appropriately sprinted forth, tripped and fell on his face again, got back up, brushing off the dust, and ran off. Alice decided that there wasn't much use attempting to reason with an excited kid who did consider her a friend and didn't yet realize the sheer scale of Alice's position. She looked behind her one more time and watched carefully to make certain Undyne wasn't about to reveal she had overheard them by hiding in the grass or something, and found great relief when nothing happened in the next few minutes. Alice then nodded to herself as a matter of factly and entered the next area of Waterfall.

To her personal delight and also surprise, she saw an area that looked very familiar to an area she had seen in Snowdin Forest. A mousehole on the wall, another Echo Flower, and a table that held what appeared to be crystallized cheese. This cheese had been there for so long, a magical crystal had grown around it. It was stuck to the table… _I wonder why there are so many tables simply lying about in nature down here?_ Alice pondered with some bafflement. When she turned to the Echo Flower, to her own personal delight and amusement, it said,

"Squeak."

"So the sounds of animals can also be mimicked by these flowers! That's simply incredible!" Alice exclaimed happily as the Echo Flower accurately recounted the mouse who had lived in the mousehole.

This knowledge that the mouse might one day extract the cheese the mystical crystal filled Alice with great determination. Then Alice moved onto the next area and was absolutely stupefied.

"SANS?!" She couldn't stop herself from crying out in both a rather bothered way but also genuinely surprised way.

As much as she liked Sans it was starting to come off as really weird that she kept running into him, especially in an area that for a time she believed he had no awareness of. This time he was standing by another telescope as well as a chest similar to the ones from before but this time with no sign next to it. Thankfully, Alice did recall something she needed to clear up with Sans and now had the opportunity to do so. Specifically the mysterious nightmare that he hadn't yet fully explained to her. Sans reacted to her cry first however and turned to her. He smiled gleefully upon seeing her, which made Alice feel a tiny bit silly.

"ah alice. i'm thinking about getting into the telescope business. it's normally 50000G to use this premium telescope… but… since i know you, you can use it for free. howzabout it?" He asked with a wink.

"I would sincerely love to Sans but first I must ask you something. What exactly happened in your nightmare? I understand you couldn't really talk about it in front of Papyrus but I for one feel I can handle it." Alice claimed.

Sans expression changed in a way that seemed both cross and scared. Cross that Alice wasn't letting it go and scared about… something? Alice actually had no idea why he would be scared of her offer, unless he was really that nervous towards sharing the details of the nightmare with her. It seemed like an eternity before Sans actually did something else verbal towards Alice and it came out as a sigh.

"... i guess it's rude to lead you on like a dog without a bone so I'll tell you. but just don't… share it with anyone or get any ideas…" He said, speaking unusually serious again.

Alice seemed a bit shocked that he would say 'get any ideas' before telling her about a nightmare where she briefly understood involved killing. It almost implied that he didn't trust her completely yet. _Even though I've spent such close time with his brother,_ Alice thought. _While it is true I haven't spoken about Chara or Flowey I thought this wouldn't be such a major factor._ At the moment though Alice decided not to be so negative or hard on herself. Perhaps it would be to her benefit at this point to tell him about those two with Flowey and Chara both disappearing and nowhere to be seen. Yet Flowey seemed to have a lot of power and Alice was scared that if she were to even mention his name, he would show up and impale her with as many bullets he could muster. So Alice replied,

"I definitely wouldn't dream of getting any ideas from a nightmare Sans. I'm not that kind of person. Please share."

"ok… so basically it starts off in snowdin with everyone laughing and cheerful and my brother went off to capture you. actually you were already captured but he made it so that you could easily get out for him. i was at home watching tv when i noticed that it was getting really late and pap hadn't come back yet. i tried to endure it a little while longer but then i eventually succumbed to 'fear' pressure and went outside towards the path. you know, the one where you confronted him. it was when i got there that the nightmare really began. you were standing perfectly still, your back facing me… DRENCHED in blood and dust. like you had taken some sick sort of bath or something and you were standing over my brother's scarf… the only thing that remained of him. so naturally i came to the conclusion you had killed him and shouted in disbelief and sorrow. you then turned around and gave me the wickedest grin i'd ever seen in my life and ran off. this time the dream ended there, sometimes it goes on way longer than it needs to but… heh… always manages to get me up screaming." Sans ended his very tragic tale with a bitter chuckle.

"... O-oh Sans… that's… horrible. I'm really sorry you had to go through such a clear and vivid nightmare… but i promise.. I would NEVER harm Papyrus. Not after all the delight and kindness and mercy he's shown me. I-if I ever were to somehow kill him… I'd allow you to return the favor to me." Alice, feeling extremely compelled with emotion and sympathy having been through several awful nightmares herself, made a powerful promise to Sans.

"... That was already a given… But thanks." Sans reply though had the same coldness and tension as the time Alice had offended him by insulting Papyrus.

"...!" Alice flinched and shivered as she felt that uncomfortable presence again.

Fortunately though, it vanished quickly this time and Sans, who hadn't really shown his face to Alice when telling that story as he instead had looked up the whole time towards the sky, leaned against the wall and turned to Alice with a smile.

"s-sorry… nightmares always put me on edge… and anything involving my brother turns me into something i'm not proud of. maybe i'd oughta treat you to some free skeleton puns." He teased.

"Sans… there's no shame in wanting to defend your brother with your very life… and I'm sorry I unintentionally caused you grief and nervousness. I assure you though I mean no harm and I would never do that to you or Papyrus." Alice humbly said as she steepled her fingers.

 _you still are,_ Sans thought a bit bitterly, not ready to confront Alice about his suspicions as she seemed completely oblivious. He did find it a bit of a relief though to hear she really meant no harm towards him and his brother physically and approved of the times he thought of violence whenever someone would try to harm his brother. So still appreciating Alice as a friend, he said,

"so want to silent scope?" He asked.

"Sure I shall use it." Alice remarked cheerfully.

However when she peered into the telescope, all she could see was red, nothing else. It was if someone had covered it with tomato sauce or some other red object that completely hindered the view Alice was getting. She pulled away to complain to Sans,

"Sans there's nothing but redness."

"mirror, mirror, in my hand, who's going to be the reddest in the land?" Sans cheekily remarked as he pulled out a simple hand-mirror for Alice to use. Alice was very confused but also slightly worried after hearing the way Sans had said that rhyme. Alice then saw it, a perfectly circular red outline upon her right eye. That had been the area Alice had pressed against the telescope to use it and it seemed as though Sans had used some sort of paint or dust on the telescope that stuck to Alice and blocked her view all at once. Alice certainly was a bit flustered but she also did find some humor into this harmless prank and laughed.

"O-oh dear… hee hee… I keep falling for these sort of things… Still, I must thank you deeply Sans… for opening up about that nightmare with me. I hope we can trust each other with this sort of information more often." Alice remarked with a giggle before using her a napkin from her apron pocket to wipe off the marking.

Sans looked surprised, not only in that he didn't entirely believe that she trustworthy based on his observations, but also that she genuinely was concerned for him. It was unusual in a sense… and somewhat too kind for someone like him. So he couldn't resist a small blush before saying.

"hehehe… well maybe in the near future. good luck on your way and be careful not to step on any cracks or you'll break my back-bone." Sans joked as he waved good-bye to her.

"Certainly won't." Said Alice.

As for this area, there were several more things she noticed. One was a strange rock-like creature standing about in the shape of a teardrop. She said 'hello' to it in the hopes of a response.

"What's a star? Can you touch it? Can you eat it? Can you kill it? … Are you a star?" It asked a series of increasingly concerning questions.

"A celestial object, no, no, no, and definitely not." Alice answered in a huff as she walked away a bit shaken.

The second thing she had noticed was a small entryway in the wall and upon entering and walking down a medium-length hallway, found the Nice Cream guy again and his cart in a room with a sign and a chest.

"I relocated my store, but there are still no customers…" The monster moaned sadly before opening one of his closed eyes to look at Alice.

"Oh that reminds me, I still am holding onto your Nice Cream… hmm… perhaps I should give it a try." Alice remarked as she pulled out the frozen treat and opened it, eating cheerfully.

The wrapper said 'Love yourself! I love you!' H _ow uplifting,_ Alice thought. As for the treat itself, it tasted just like premium ice cream back in England and was quite satisfying with a vanilla flavoring. The monster selling these looked very happy to see Alice enjoying the treat.

"Well my dear customer, I thought of the perfect way for you to keep enjoying Nice Cream with more bang for your buck! Punch cards! Every time, you buy a Nice Cream, can take a punch card from the box. If you have 3 cards, you can trade them for a free Nice Cream! They're sure to get the customers to come back!" He announced.

"How very thrifty! I believe I shall buy one then and see how it works." Alice said sweetly.

After paying 25G to the monster, Alice received another Nice Cream that she was definitely intent on saving for later and was able to pick up a card from the box. She then turned to the sign along the wall and saw that the ancient glyphs had been painted over with a list of 21 different flavors. Vanilla, Hazelnut, Chocolate, Mint, Caramel, Strawberry, Banana, Cake Batter, Cherry Tart, Custard, Pineapple, Roast Turkey, Peanut Butter, Spaghetti, Butterscotch, Rainbow Sherbert, Neapolitan, Green Tea, Blueberry Pie, Coconut, and Red Velvet. Sticking out her tongue at the strange 'Roast Turkey' flavor and realizing how much Papyrus would love 'Spaghetti', Alice got inspired to call Papyrus after remembering that discussion she had just had with Sans. Waving good-bye to the Nice Cream vendor and returning to the main area, she called him.

"Good day to you Papyrus, did you know Sans has a telescope?"

"HUH? MY BROTHER? OF COURSE HE HAS A TELESCOPE. SANS LOVES OUTER SPACEY, SCI-FI STUFF." Papyrus replied as though it was common sense.

"Hmm… I wasn't ever told about this from him." Alice remarked as this felt all too familiar to when she hadn't know he knew about Waterfall.

"HMM? HE NEVER TOLD YOU? YEAH, SANS NEVER TELLS ANYBODY ANYTHING!" Papyrus laughed.

"I suppose that's the most obvious conclusion to draw upon. Thank you Papyrus." She said as she hung up.

As she continued down the same path she found it led to a dead end but that on the other side across the water was another piece of land with a very adorable duck waddling and flapping its wings. However Alice wasn't sure if she wanted to cross just yet as she had seen another alternative path that would lead downwards into Waterfall. She had a feeling that path would be the correct one and would lead her somewhere safe and secure but also fantastical. So retracing her steps and crossing down the bridge, she saw some simply exquisite scenery. It was as if the water itself was glowing brightly and there were lilypads and tall regal trees that seemed to be that of an ancient forest. It all made Alice think of something mystical and enchanting like a fairy tale land. But she knew there was even more beyond this area so Alice went into the next area, hunt in mind, Napstablook in mind, and her future in mind.

To Be Continued...


	15. Lucid Dreemurr and Dreams

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 14 Lucid Dreemurr and Dreams

Alice found that the trail seemed to create an entirely different atmosphere. Something ethereal and rather mystical, like an ancient forest. Trails of water split off in different directions, lilypads and similar plant-life were over by the water, the grass itself seemed to reflect the glow of the water, and it was definitely so much more lush and fertile than the Ruins or Snowdin had been. After crossing a small bridge, she quickly stumbled upon a pair of Echo Flowers. Knowing it'd be wisest to start with the closest one first before the further one, Alice quickly listened into what appeared to be a passing conversation.

"So? Don't you have any wishes you to make?" Repeated the first.

"...hmm, just one, but… It's kind of stupid."

Already having her curiousity peaked, Alice detected there being two different paths to take. Normally she'd be thrilled but Alice had a sinking feeling that taking the wrong path in Waterfall would lead somewhere she didn't want to be. Not to mention Undyne was still out there somewhere and should she come across her earlier than later...

"Hmm… it certainly has been made to be too precarious to explore deeply in Waterfall… but I suppose it is best if I see everything there is to see so I don't feel I've missed anything." Alice reasoned to herself, something that was common for the little girl to do on her own.

So she decided to go left first and she soon stumbled upon a pair of very familiar Moldsmal. _Oh so it appears they also exist outside of the Ruins_ , Alice realized as she began dealing with them the same way she had done so before. After some meaningful conversation and pacifying them, Alice found the very end of the left path. A thicket of grass and four glowing mushrooms. Alice couldn't help but find it amusing that Waterfall had mushrooms that were so different yet felt so similar to the mushrooms Alice had in her idealized Wonderland. In Wonderland, depending on which side of the shroom you ate, you could grow and shrink whereas these mushrooms glowed brightly and could turn off and on. Within the thicket of grass was a most intriguing surprise.

"Ballet shoes…? I wonder if these shoes go with the tutu I came across earlier." Alice thought.

There was still something a little depressing about finding these random, decidedly human articles scattered randomly across the Underground. Alice's current theory is that these things belonged to the children who had been here before and unfortunately didn't survive. If it was true, Alice knew it would be disrespectful and wrong to take these mementos for herself. She also highly doubted that the tutu or the shoes would fit her size as there was no telling what the children of the past looked like. So Alice left the shoes as they were and returned back to the original crossroads between left and forward. Going forward, Alice didn't get much farther as her phone quickly began to ring again. Alice was a little concerned that this had been a bit too perfect of timing and so she answered at once.

"HELLO! THIS IS PAPYRUS! REMEMBER WHEN I ASKED YOU ABOUT CLOTHES? WELL, THE FRIEND WHO WANTED TO KNOW… HER OPINION OF YOU IS VERY… MURDERY." Papyrus said after a brief hesitation.

"Hehe… I suppose that must certainly be a strong opinion." Alice chuckled cheerfully.

Granted if it had been anyone other than Papyrus telling her, she'd be terrified to hear this but there was always something refreshing about his sweet honesty. It was in a way, the nicest way to hear that he was indeed working with Undyne and that Undyne was still intent on hunting her down.

"I KNOW RIGHT?! IT'S A BIT MUCH BUT I DO UNDERSTAND WHY SHE HAS SUCH A STRONG OPINION OF YOU… AND I HAVE A HUNCH YOU UNDERSTAND AS WELL. WHICH IS WHY I TOLD HER WHAT YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE WEARING! A LOVELY DOLL DRESS AND A BONAFIDE SANS CAPE. AT LEAST… I THINK THAT'S YOUR ENSEMBLE… BECAUSE I KNEW AFTER A SUSPICIOUS QUESTION… YOU WOULD OBVIOUSLY CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES! YOU'RE-"

"But I haven't changed at all… it's not like there would even be a place to change where I'm at. I'm certainly not going to disgrace myself by changing in public for instance." Alice clarified as politely as she could.

"... OH. WELL… I GUESS THIS MEANS I WAS BEING HONEST BUT THEN THAT MIGHT MEAN YOUR FATE'S BEEN SEALED… AH WELL, NO BETRAYAL AT LEAST! I GOT TO SAY BEING FRIENDS WITH EVERYONE IS EASY! BUT MAYBE YOU SHOULD AT LEAST CHANGE UP SOMETHING… JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE." Papyrus seemed a bit worried at first but his unbridled optimism prevailed and he ended the conversation abruptly.

"Goodness… maybe there is some merit to changing my appearance down here. Still I highly doubt I'd find anything in my size…" Alice spoke to herself as she concluded her thoughts on the matter and kept her dainty pace.

If anything it had been proven Papyrus was working with Undyne but was also trying to keep Alice safe in his own, unique way. It seemed Undyne was only going on appearances to aid her in her hunt which was valuable information Alice could use to her advantage. However, Alice was a slightly vain person in terms of appearance and was also quite correct in her mind about the unlikely chances of finding something else that'd fit her in the Underground. Granted while Sans's cape fit her fairly perfectly, the only other clothes she had been able to come across were lying on the ground and were presumably that of smaller children than Alice. Even if she was able to miraculously find some fitting clothes, Alice felt it wouldn't significantly change her situation as a target. So deciding to not follow Papyrus's advice, Alice made forth on the twists and turns of the Waterfall path. She eventually came across another Echo Flower. Hoping it was connected to the previous one, Alice found great delight in being proven right,

"Don't say that! Come on, I promise I won't laugh."

"Seems like a very reassuring fellow." Alice commented as she figured this was a response to the last Echo Flower.

Continuing along the path, Alice didn't find anymore Echo Flowers to her disappointment. It made her a bit curious how common they were in the Underground compared to say a dandelion or a daisy in the human world. Fortunately, she soon discovered another sign hanging upon the walls of a new path. 'The power to take their SOULS. This is the power that the humans feared.' Alice looked despondent at the sign's grim perspective. It just didn't seem fair that humans were being judged based on events Alice had no idea about and that as a result, the Underground slandered their name and turned them into targets rather than living beings. Granted it seemed the humans had imprisoned them down here and it was clear they were desperate to be free but it was just depressing how Alice had absolutely no say in that. Her only hope was to be a Pacifist like Toriel had told her and get through to everyone not to kill her. Folding her arms, Alice entered the next area.

"This is quite a bit of water…" Alice observed calmly as she found a lone path that continued onward over a lake.

At first Alice didn't find anything too remarkable about the location and kept going along the path until she heard an unusual sound. It sounded like something emerging from the water. A glance to the left and Alice saw what was perhaps one of the strangest things yet in the Underground. It appeared to be some sort of long, pale yellow appendage. It was probably a tentacle upon closer inspection and had a slimy, maneuverable texture much like a tentacle to confirm this. Alice wasn't sure whether to be scared or excited at this discovery and so she decided to keep walking to see if it would notice her. As she did so, another tentacle emerged before both submerged into the water. Alice suddenly got slightly worried and looked around anxiously before a giant shadow in the water caught her attention. It was clear that the monster was present at the shadow's location and it began to emerge in a dramatic fashion befitting of a theater performance. What Alice saw turned out to be… completely unexpected. It had a very strange head shape, similar to perhaps an onion if Alice had to be honest, with extremely expressive eyes that seemed to sparkle in a dazzling fashion. It also appeared to be blushing prominently with a pink tongue.

"Hey… there… Noticed you were… Here…" It spoke rather shyly with a particularly feminine voice.

"W-why yes… I'm just a traveling maiden if anything. Who might you be?" Alice asked hesitantly, trying to make herself seem innocent.

"I'm Onionsan! Onionsan, y'hear!" The monster's eyes appeared to go cross-eyed as it gave a surprisingly bold response towards Alice.

 _For the most part it seems friendly,_ Alice thought to herself, _surely it's not aligned with Undyne either._ Alice began to proceed down the path as she spoke again to Onionsan,

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Onionsan. My name is Alice."

"Alice, huh! I like that name! You're visiting Waterfall, huh! It's great here, huh! You love it, huh!"

"Well I would say it definitely has a lot of positive attributes and it's very beautiful. There's not really a place where I come from that could compare to this place's aura and serenity." Alice's reply actually gave her a bit more confidence in herself.

"Yeah! Me too! It's my Big Favorite!" Onionsan said jubilantly.

"So you mean to say you've been to the other parts of the Underground as well?" Alice inquired curiously as she suspected they were a water-bound monster.

"Well a bit… maybe… I have to admit though that the water's getting so shallow here… I have to sit down all the time, but… He-hey! That's OK! It beats moving to the city! And living in a crowded aquarium! Like all my friends did!" Onionsan, who had slumped into the water when discussing the downsides to where they were living, quickly rebounded with a spurt of optimism.

"I think that's a wise choice. Aquarium's are very beautiful though I can't imagine how it must be for the fish to swim around in the same location over and over again. But how is the water getting more shallow? There seems to be a plentiful supply of water." Alice asked curiously.

 _At least if I am to believe that those blocks of ice the wolf was throwing earlier in Snowdin supply the water here_ , Alice recalled.

"Not all the water in Waterfall comes over to this area… kind of a shame. But I suppose it's better that it doesn't flood everything… And the aquarium's full, a-anyway, so, even if I wanted to, I…"

"Onionsan…" Alice couldn't help but feel a bit bad for this monster trapped in a dwindling lake.

"That's okay though, y'hear! Undyne's gonna fix everything, y'hear! I'm gonna get out of here and live in the ocean! Y'hear!" Onionsan spoke up once more with an excited expression.

"Ugh..." Alice was relieved that Onionsan was feeling better but couldn't help but groan that another monster was looking forward to Undyne hunting her down.

There was a lot of parallels between Onionsan and Papyrus in fact, both of them supporting Undyne and being free while having a lot of optimism. It made the monster's situation more understandable for Alice but she had to think selfishly at this point about her own situation. Everyone, besides those she truly befriended at this point, did genuinely want her to die. Her death would be the best thing that could happen to these monsters yet the idea of dying at such a young age and in a world that was not her own seemed far too cruel a fate for Alice. She was resolved to fight for her survival and trying to find another way beyond using a human soul to break the barrier. _Come to think of it, I've hardly found any new information regarding the barrier itself_ … Alice thought. Soon she had reached the other end of the room and Onionsan was quick to point it out to her, with help from their tentacle.

"Hey… there… That's the end of this room. I'll see you around! Have a good time! In Waterfallllllllllllllllllllllllllllll…" Onionsan bid farewell as they sank into the waters.

"Farewell Onionsan. And thank you." Alice assured with a curtsy and left the room.

The next area seemed to be straightforward enough with a waterfall, a decent amount of space, and similarly dim lighting. Alice was wondering what was special about this next area so she thought to call Papyrus. Regardless of him helping Undyne or not he was still a source of conversation on the go.

"I'VE HEARD A SHY MONSTER LIVES AROUND HERE." He said.

"A shy monster you say…? Hmm… do you know anything else about them?" Alice inquired.

"WELL, IF YOU WANT TO GET SOMEONE TO OPEN UP… YOU SHOULD ENGAGE THEM IN COMBAT!" Papyrus remarked.

"But that seems… hello?" Alice doubtfully tried to throw in her opinion and yet Papyrus had already hung up.

That was when Alice noticed something very curious. A shape hidden within the corners of the room. Alice wasn't sure what to make of it from her position in the room so she approached closer and somehow she encountered the monster. It was a unusual monster in that it looked quite pretty actually with a graceful lizard-like form, two spikes from it's chest, a sapling on it's mane of long, flowing locks, two big arms, and a fish-like mouth. Alice identified the creature as Shyren which was actually a fairly normal name by human standards and also quickly proved this was the shy monster Papyrus had talked about. It seemed she was tone deaf and too ashamed to sing her deadly song.

"Oh… so you can sing Shyren?" Alice asked, eager to listen to some pleasant music.

"... … hum hum" Shyren hummed in a gentle voice befitting of a dainty damsel.

Two musical notes emitted from it's mouth, but they were rather slow and didn't even reach Alice before they disappeared. Alice had a feeling there was something special about this encounter though and Shyren was thinking about doing some karaoke by herself… _What's karaoke?_ Alice thought as this was the first time her identifications of monsters used a term she was unfamiliar with. _It must be something music or singing related surely…_ Alice was further interested in Shyren's musical potential and so she hummed to a jazz ballad she remember listening to before with her sister. To her surprise, Shyren turned to face her, revealing that the fish-like mouth was not a mouth and instead she appeared rather like a straw doll with a gnarled mouth but tender eyes and bangs over her right eye. Shyren seemed a lot more confident as she followed Alice's melody.

"Si re, si re, si mi, si mi" Shyren warmed up her vocals before belting a rather beautiful sounding if slightly indescribable performance.

A flurry of musical notes flew at Alice but Alice wasn't too scared of them and she was able to gracefully avoid each and every note. Alice, feeling positively delighted, continued to hum some more to encourage Shyren's vibrant vocals. To her surprise, monsters out of nowhere appeared, interested in Shyren's performances just as much as the English girl was. In fact… it became a concert.

"Oof… h-hey… excuse me sir but you stepped on my foot… please make some distance…eep! Please keep your hands to yourself..." Alice grumbled, trying to deal with the sudden surge in space taken up.

"Si Fa Si Fa So Fa So Mi Re Re" Shyren belted out more beautiful ballads that did make more than up for this discomfort.

Granted this time Alice had to create a construct of DETERMINATION to block the musical notes as with the increased crowd, it'd be far too difficult to dodge. Taking the form of a flock of mysterious umbrella vultures, they repelled the notes long enough to protect Alice from the onslaught. That was when Alice noticed something even more alarming…

"SANS?!" She exclaimed in a half-exasperated, half-impressed way.

"hey alice! welcome to the show. shyren sure knows how to sing jazz but i prefer the 'blues' more. get it? because of the blue attacks." Sans threw a good-natured pun as he sold tickets to the crowd of monsters that appeared to be made of toilet paper.

"T-those aren't legitimate tickets Sans… a-and… oh will you please move over?! Sorry… I mean Sans, what are you doing here?" Alice's attempt at being right was interrupted by someone pushing against her roughly and thus she had to get them off her to finish the question.

 _He really is everywhere at once…_ she thought with a slight groan. _Then again I suppose I do call Papyrus often so maybe this is his way of catching up with me…_ There was definitely something strange though that he was appearing and reappearing so often throughout the Underground. It was too orchestrated, like a spy chosen to watch over her. Given that he also seemed to possess an intense presence and that theory seemed not too far-fetched. Although it was a rather pointless theory that served to only cast discord between her and Sans and did nothing to help the situation. Alice decided to table the thoughts about Sans's timing for now and decided to help conduct Shyren's performance. She waved her arms in a calculating, precise way much like she had seen real conductors do and it appeared to stir Shyren's true talent to the surface and the crowd's excitement.

"Si Fa Si Fa So Fa So Mi Re Re" Shyren reached heights no opera singer could hope to match.

After the musical notes were blocked by more umbrella vultures, Alice grinned and came up to hug Shyren, indicating both the end of the concert and that she had spared Shyren. The crowd roared with applause and cheered at the fabulous finale. Flowers were hurled from the monsters as gifts for Shyren's success and even a few toilet paper tickets. Alice, a bit overcome in the moment, let go of Shyren and began to gush.

"Oh that was simply lovely! I have never heard a more gratifying, pleasant, and exquisite sound in my entire life! Aww… if only I had something to give you... " Alice sighed bittersweetly.

As Shyren coiled into a blush and even seemed to be tearing up tears of happiness, Alice felt a familiar bony finger tapping on her shoulder. When she turned around, she saw Sans holding a flower in front of her winking.

"santa came early. this should suffice for shyren. a healthy dose of flower power" Sans said teasingly.

"Aww Sans… thank you so much. I certainly owe you more than I ever owed you at one time." Alice said thankfully and took the flower from his hand.

Granted flowers had a lot of different meanings in the Underground, Flowey coming to mind, but Alice wasn't going to be scared every time she heard or saw a flower. Like the Echo Flowers for instance restored Alice's faith in the local flora by a significant amount. Alice then handed the flower to Shyren who sniffed it happily and hugged Alice back. It seemed to be her way of thanking Alice for giving her the courage to give such a heartfelt performance. Alice freed herself and curtsied once more to show her appreciation for the entertainment. It was at that moment that Shyren wandered off and when Alice realized all the monsters, including Sans, had dispersed as quickly as they came in.

"Imagine that… hmm, what does this sign say?" Alice asked as she observed a sign she hadn't spotted before.

'The northern room hides a great treasure.'

"Hmm… that does sound quite enticing… but I wonder if it's some sort of a trap. Still there's no harm in taking a peek inside." Alice concluded and went to see the northern room.

Inside the room, to Alice's surprise and astonishment was a grand piano lying by the wall, markings resembling arrows and a circle etched on the wall over it along with a 'X - Quit', and another sign to the right. It was very bizarre and rather strange to see though the piano did look very tempting to play. Alice observed the sign to see what it might say about the treasure. 'A haunting song echoes down the corridor… Won't you play along? Only the first 8 are fine.' _This definitely sounds like some sort of riddle, I'll need to find this song and listen closely._ Alice felt her mind racing with excitement and she left the room and went down the right path. Along the hallways were several more signs that seemed to be detailing more monster facts. 'This power has no counter. Indeed, a human cannot take a monster's SOUL. When a monster dies, its SOUL disappears. And an incredible power would be needed to take the SOUL of a living monster.' 'There is only one exception. The SOUL of a special species of monster called a "Boss Monster." A Boss Monster's SOUL is strong enough to persist after death… If only for a few moments. A human could absorb this SOUL. But this has never happened. And now it never will.'

"It never will…? Did someone try to do this before?" Alice inquired as the final statement of the second sign caught her eye.

Strictly going by the sign, it seemed that this power to take souls was one of great controversy in the Underground. Should a Boss Monster die, Alice had a hunch she knew several of them, then they could have their SOUL taken and used for unimaginable power as some of the earlier signs recounted. Though that was not something to be desired as Alice recalled the nightmarish illustration she had seen previously of a monster with a human soul. What if it was the other way around? Would the human resemble a monster or still remain themselves? It was a disturbing topic that Alice didn't want to delve into but she felt she had to or she wouldn't get anywhere. It also made her think of what Chara had told her regarding King Asgore's goal of using the human souls to break the barrier. Supposedly they had six already so if fusing wasn't permitted and that even using six human souls was still not enough, it meant this barrier was extremely powerful. So they had really no other way but to hope to use enough souls without the use of absorbing them.

"Oh! A-a statue…?" Alice gasped after she wandered into the next area and spotted something.

Illuminated by a strange natural light source, there stood a stone statue that appeared to be of a horned creature in a sitting pose with it's arms draped over it's knees. It seemed very Nordic in style and droplets of water fell onto its head at a fast rate. Alice noticed that the structures at its feet seemed dry and also that there seemed to be enough space to hold onto something as part of the statue. Alice figured this must've been the area with the 'haunting song' but the sound of droplets seemed too vague to be that song.

"I wonder…" Alice muttered to herself as she wondered if this was also another puzzle of sorts.

Entering the next area for reference, Alice found something so out of place she wondered if Papyrus was responsible for this. It was a steel can filled with what appeared to be umbrellas. There was also an old-fashioned sign on the floor of the room as opposed to the signs placed within the walls. 'Please take one' was what it said. Considering this was Waterfall and was bound to be a damp and rainy environment, Alice understood that this was very thoughtful advice for whoever set this room. It also made Alice remember how the statue had droplets that continued to plummet onto its head...

"Perhaps I need to use one of the umbrellas on the statue to keep it full dry… but then how does that create a haunting song? Hmm… still I definitely want to find that treasure and it would be unwise not to try every single nook and cranny." Alice debated over the logic of using an umbrella on a statue but in the end her curiosity and childish desire to succeed prevailed.

She took two umbrellas with her, one a pretty pale pink color and the other a pale orange. One for herself and one for the statue respectively. Returning to the room with the statue, Alice placed the pale orange umbrella onto the statue, making sure it was held firm. That's when something simply magical happened. From within the statue itself, the familiar sound of a music box began to play. It wasn't exactly haunting if Alice had to be perfectly honest but rather sweet and calming, like a lullaby.

"Ooooohhh… this is a beautiful song. I wonder what the name of it is?" She asked as she suddenly felt a great desire to sit down and listen.

Sitting down next to the statue, laying her skirts out elegant and leaning against the wall, Alice finally got a chance to rest. She had been consistently on the move since leaving Sans and Papyrus's house and finally got a chance to look back and reflect on all she had done so far. She had managed to outwit a scheming child with ulterior motives and an aggressive flower, proving her own DETERMINATION. She had spared many lives including the caretaker Toriel who had baked her such a lovely butterscotch cinnamon pie. She met two skeleton brothers who could've easily been among her best friends on the surface had they been there and yet were so different from one another. She had read, ate, drank, explored, done much more adventurous things that she never had saw herself do. She experienced growth in equality and acceptance by the monsters themselves. She gave great ideas and in a way… matured into a lovely young woman all on her own. Still she did deeply miss Dinah and her sister and was anxious about all this strange lore and circumstances regarding the powers and rules of this world. As much joy and fun she had experienced here, there simply was no place like home. She did intend to keep her promises and knowing that if she would be able to go home, she would also be helping the monsters go home to the surface as well. After about 15 minutes of relaxing, reflecting, and listening to the terrific tune that rivaled Shyren's concert earlier, Alice got back up and decided to go back to the piano room. Knowing that the music of the musicbox was the 'haunting song' described in the puzzle, the keys to that song would be the keys to play on the piano.

"Very well… I must admit my sister would probably be proud to see me play the piano. It's a very respected instrument that shows a lot of class and elegance to the player." Alice spoke to herself optimistically.

After playing each key and making sure to gauge what each key's sound was in correspondence to the music box, Alice began to play in a set order that she believed was right. This piano only had five keys which made it a lot easier that if it had as many keys as a traditional piano. There was also the fact she only had to play 8 times to provide the solution for the puzzle. So she played first, fifth, fourth, first, third, first, third, fourth from left to right. _8 keys and… voila!_ Alice thought happily as she saw that a door opened up spontaneously on the furthest wall. Clapping happily to herself at the success at completing the puzzle, she went inside. Inside the secret room was a fairly simple stone pedestal with a mysterious red orb upon it and yet another sign on the wall above it. It was a legendary artifact of unimaginable value yet Alice was hesitant to take it. After all, it could be cursed or perhaps not worth anything at all.

"If only there was some sort of note, like a 'Drink Me' or something…" Alice sighed as she looked at the artifact from every angle.

Deciding that if anything she could possibly use her DETERMINATION in the event something was to go astray, Alice clutched the artifact but as she did, something crazy happened. A white dog that looked very familiar popped out of the pockets of her apron (By now seeming to have magically limitless space) and landed on the ground. Alice took several steps back and released her grip on the artifact.

"Wait a moment... you are that dog who took Papyrus's bone earlier!" Alice exclaimed.

Apparently it was called Annoying Dog, about as obvious a name as the Mad Hatter for instance. To Alice's surprise, it floated over to the Artifact and seemed to envelop it like a sponge with water. Annoying Dog had entirely absorbed the artifact to Alice's dismay. Then it proceeded to fly off and out of the room, majestically like a bird. The whole affair happened so quickly Alice could only just stand and stare bamboozled at the direction where the Annoying Dog had flown off.

"..." After frowning a bit that the puzzle had been for naught, she decided to leave the room and continue on the path.

Alice carried her umbrella properly and soon found herself in the room beyond the umbrella room. There was indeed a shower of water, much like one Alice had encountered in the spring, with long puddles on the ground and waterfalls. Alice did her best not to step into the puddles as she didn't like getting her clothes wet and did find comfort she was able to have this umbrella on her. There was also something strangely comforting about seeing her reflection along the water…

"Yo, you got an umbrella? Awesome!" A familiar cheery voice interrupted Alice's slight daydream.

Turning towards the excitable sound of the voice and Alice found Monster Kid running towards her and soon resting next to her under the umbrella's protection.

"Oh Monster Kid! I was hoping you had returned home already… your parents surely must be worried sick." Alice slightly reprimanded Monster Kid for once again putting himself in the warpath.

She did care about him greatly as a child like she was and a friend. It was precisely why she was trying to dissuade him from not only associating himself with her, but also from joining her on this quest of sorts. Still, it seemed his passion for Undyne had gotten him this far and there weren't as many wild monsters as there had been in previous areas. Plus perhaps monsters had a similar pack mentality where they weren't just about to simply harm another monster on sight. Either way, she wasn't sure how ruthless Undyne was in her hunt and if Monster Kid tried to defend her…

"Nonsense! Well… actually maybe a little bit… but they'll understand when I tell them Undyne was with me. She keeps everyone safe! So let's go Alice!" Monster Kid declared.

"... Well alright… I suppose some company is always appreciated as well." Alice felt a bit silly having to admit defeat so easily but decided it wouldn't be fair to deprive Monster Kid of an opportunity he clearly was hoping for.

So the duo continued along the rather long hallway before Monster Kid stopped again.

"Man Undyne is soooooooo cool. She beats up bad guys and NEVER loses. If I was a human, I would wet the bed every night… knowing she was gonna beat me up! Ha ha." He stated.

"What is her preferred fighting style?" Alice asked after resisting the urge to gulp nervously.

"SPEARS! Lots of em'. Also muscles in case she has to get up close with the enemy or is disarmed. She could lift forty-two me's with just one hand. It's awesome!"

After a turn to the right, Alice and Monster Kid found themselves heading downwards, past some more Waterfall flora. The conversation continued to proceed smoothly,

"So, one time. We had a school project where we had to take care of a flower. The king- we had to call him "Mr. Dreemurr"- volunteered to donate his own flowers. He ended up coming to school and teaching the class about responsibility and stuff. That got me thinking... YO! How COOL would it be if UNDYNE came to school!? She could beat up ALL the teachers!" Until an unexpected statement from Monster Kid changed the scale of the conversation.

"Hmm…? You mean the king's last name is Dreemurr? Hmm… and he's a florist on top of all this." Alice replied more to herself than to Monster Kid.

 _King Asgore Dreemurr,_ Alice went over the name in her head, _certainly one of the more unique names for a monarch I've ever heard._ Now Alice truly knew the identity of the ruler of the Underground which she felt was a very valuable piece of information to have. Yet there was something more important she felt about the idea of Mr. Dreemurr being a florist. It'd explain a lot about the many flowers that populated the Underground as well as Papyrus's statement about the Golden Flower Tea being the king's favorite. Yet… it also made Alice wonder about Flowey. He was a flower, a very special flower, and it would seem that he did desire to be a ruler of the Underground and was a being of powerful magic. If he had connections to Chara, what if he also had connections to Asgore? It was definitely a worthy theory that there was a connection to all of this but for now Alice had to play slightly dumb with Monster Kid. After all, there was no way he needed to know about the complex and possibly offensive ideas she was coming up with about people he knew.

"Yeah, he grows LOTS of flowers in his throne room. I saw it one time on a field trip and it was so pretty! You know though… maybe Undyne wouldn't beat up all the teachers. She's too cool to ever hurt an innocent person!" Monster Kid chuckled shyly.

 _That's doubtful,_ Alice thought with a slight eye roll knowing of her innocence.

"Granted teachers can sometimes be so droll and boring. Whenever I would get tired of a lesson I would often create fantastical worlds and characters in my head. But I agree that it doesn't warrant the right for them to be beat up, it's their life's work. Plus it's vital for society's progress to be well-educated." Alice elaborated on the reasoning behind teachers.

"Golly… I never thought of it that way. COOL! I wonder if Undyne ever went to school… then that'd mean I'm on the right track!" Monster Kid cheered gleefully.

"I'm sure of it."

Passing through what appeared to be a exit to a cave, Alice soon realizing they had indeed been in caverns, Alice was treated to an extraordinary sight. The lighting was very dark outside, clearly the Underground's version of nighttime, and over the horizon was a giant castle with blue spires and a sky full of magical stars. The castle looked very much like one you might find in England and even from afar was worthy of inspiring ballads and art with it's glory. Alice couldn't help but stop and stare at it wordlessly along with Monster Kid. She didn't even need to ask about what castle it was because there was no doubts in her mind that it was the King's Castle. Granted it did make Alice feel a little nervous about how far away it was from her and that it indicated she still had a very long ways to go in the Underground. But by that logic, it also greatly excited her. There was FAR more to the Underground and Alice had only scratched the surface of what amazing things there could be found here. It was definitely a blessing for Alice to have laid witness to this incredible sight. Without saying anything else, the two of them entered another cavern entrance. This time there was a similar steel can with umbrellas in it like the previous one, and a rather big ledge that Alice couldn't hope to climb onto by herself. Nor Monster Kid for that matter.

"Yo, this ledge is way too steep… hmm… hmm… Yo, you wanna see Undyne right..?" Monster Kid talked to Alice after observing the ledge for several moments.

"... Yes?" Alice couldn't say no as she wanted to keep going so she lied.

"Climb on my shoulders."

"Eh? Really… b-but won't that hurt you?" Alice asked, surprised at Monster Kid's idea.

"C'mon! I've been bodybuilding like Undyne. If I can't handle someone climbing onto my shoulders… I need to double time my routine." Monster Kid reassured happily.

"Well alright, if you say so." Alice said as she carefully climbed onto his shoulders.

With the increased height, Alice was able to easily get onto the ledge, still holding her umbrella in the case it would be useful and because it was still drizzling. She turned to Monster Kid, ready to help him up as well but,

"Yo, you go on ahead. Don't worry about me. I always find a way to get through!" Monster Kid reassured her that she didn't need to help him up.

"I understand… but please be careful!" Alice warned as she got to her feet and equipped the umbrella again.

"No pro-whoa! Oof!" Monster Kid had started off in a sprint that ended in yet another faceplant.

Like with all the previous faceplants, Monster Kid simply got back up onto his feet and kept going. With no other direction to go but forward, Alice waved good-bye to him and then turned on her heels and kept going. She found several more signs and also could hear the serene sound of a distant music box. It made Alice feel very determined and she deciphered the signs once again. 'The humans, afraid of our power, declared war on us. They attacked suddenly, and without mercy.' 'In the end, it could hardly be called a war. United, the humans were too powerful, and us monsters, too weak. Not a single SOUL was taken, and countless monsters were turned to dust…'

"Well I can see why monsters would make humans uneasy were they ever to exist alongside one another but… that's still far too cruel…" Alice observed with a feeling of dread.

She was actually becoming more relieved that she hadn't been there to witness or experience any of what supposedly had happened in this world. It was all too terrible, shamed humanity and overall had a lot of sadness. Chara was beginning to be proven right with why he saw no redeeming qualities in either side. Humans had made the first blow and monsters would never let it go. The worst part of this idea was that even if Alice freed the monsters… how would they handle the new freedom? Would they go off on the humans in revenge? Try to start a new society and live side-by-side? Or be unforgiven by the humans and forced back into the Underground for sanctuary? _I see why optimism and DETERMINATION is so valued down here_ , Alice thought as she had come up with several negative thoughts in a row. Accepting all the worst-case scenarios would definitely harm one's mental stability, even if they held some ground. Plus Alice didn't know what humanity was like in this time period and perhaps they had settled down. Not to mention the war appeared to have occurred so long ago, there was no proof that the humans still held a grudge. If anything, it would still be the right thing to do to free the monsters.

"Yes… I've made up my mind… I still need to free them once and for-"

A strange sound interrupted her thoughts and Alice instinctively stopped walking forward and looked around. She noticed she was now on what appeared to be a strange bridge with a lower bridge a good distance below where she was standing. Furthermore, there was a mysterious blue glowing circle on the bridge in front of Alice's location. It was all too familiar to her yet Alice couldn't pin-point what it was until another circle appeared. Then a third… then a flurry of them in quick succession that left Alice no room to count them all. Massive pointed spears then surged from the circles before disappearing and Alice gulped and looked down to the lower bridge. Sure enough, she saw the familiar red ponytail and suit of armor that belonged to Undyne. Alice was once again a target of her hunt and it was clearly on. While the spears weren't being hurled at her this time, there was something a lot more dangerous about them appearing from circles on the bridge that Alice could easily run into if she wasn't careful.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKK!" Alice shrieked in fear and began to dash along the bridge as quickly as she could.

The circles appeared in varying numbers and in different places depending on the shape of the bridge. The bridge had several zigs and zags making it even more of a challenge for Alice to safely navigate without walking into one of the emerging spears. Worse, Undyne continued to follow her from the lower bridge with no signs of stopping the onslaught of magical spears. Alice soon discovered there were a number of different paths to the bridge, creating a complicated network that didn't seem all that practical if a normal monster was using it. Many of them Alice could tell were dead ends from a distance which helped her a bit but she noticed that the frequency of the circles seemed to quicken depending on what direction Alice was heading. The fact that it did quicken instead of slowed down made it seem as though Undyne was trying to dissuade her from going in that direction and thus that Alice was on the right track.

"Huff… huff…!" Alice panted as she lifted her skirts and continued to dash along the complex bridges with her umbrella in hand.

Eventually she came across a giant square with a singular path forward which Alice deduced had to be the right path. At this point though the spears were appearing with the frequency of a hummingbird flapping its wings and so she had to be very careful yet quick about her movements. So managing to make it to this path, to Alice's relief, the spears slowed down their appearances before eventually stopping altogether. But then she also noticed… it was a dead end too.

"... Ah…! Ahhh…! No… this can't be happening!" Alice quickly felt panic overcoming her as she slammed her fists on the wall, hoping it would open something.

But the walls didn't budge in the slightest. Alice knew she had gotten herself trapped and wondered if Undyne was aware of this. Perhaps she had designed the bridge herself to create this complicated network that would only lead to a dead end and thus was a trap. The only possible choice left for the little girl to do was to head back the way she came and try again. But…

"S-she's probably going to be standing there waiting for me and kill me!" Alice shrieked to herself.

However, it was not like standing pinned up against the wall would do her any better. At least if she had more space to move around, she could potentially fight Undyne and pacify her like she did with the others. Monster Kid seemed to believe in Undyne being a person who didn't aggress against the innocent after all. Alice tensed herself and turned around before heading back the way she came. She couldn't help but feel as though she was walking the plank to her doom. As though to confirm her dead end situation, Undyne approached with the same clunky steps of the armor echoing in the area. Alice looked as though she was about to cry upon seeing Undyne but then decided to try to be brave as the first tear fell.

"I-if… you are going to kill me… at least let me pray or something along those lines… to those I will never see again... uu…" Alice pleaded sorrowfully.

Undyne said nothing which Alice took as agreeing to her plea. Alice set down her umbrella, got onto one knee, and clasped her hands together. She was about to say her first words of prayer when she heard several spears being summoned at once. Closing her eyes tightly, she suddenly heard them crash and break through something close by. She opened her eyes in confusion and before she could investigate, she suddenly felt the bridge shake.

"W-what…" Alice gasped as she felt herself wobble and then suddenly it happened.

Undyne had broke off the part of the bridge Alice was on and gravity dragged it down. Alice soon found herself falling… falling… and falling as the face of Undyne watched her go down.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Alice found herself laying down on a patch of golden flowers, dazed and confused. She sat up and looked around to find herself… in the very first part of the Underground she had fallen in. The same spot in the Ruins after falling down the Rabbit Hole. Even the lighting and time of day appeared to be exactly the same. Alice was completely puzzled… why would she end up here? She had been so far away in Waterfall after all. Even if the bridge in Waterfall had been above the Ruins there was no sign of a crash or debris around. Not to mention Toriel would never allow someone to carry Alice all the way over here or enter the Ruins in the first place.

"Curiouser and curiouser…" Alice sighed, getting up and dusting herself off.

She looked around and at first nothing caught her eye from the last time she had saw this place until she noticed something startling lying against a pillar. It was… a suit of armor? A very familiar suit of armor with ivy having grown and wrapped itself around the armor. It was Undyne's armor… complete with the ponytail and yet there was something unnerving about the sight beyond it being Undyne's. There was a Vorpal Blade imbedded into it's chest violently and while there seemed to be no blood, it was clear that Undyne had been killed. The only person Alice could think of to have that Vorpal Blade was the 'Alice' she had seen before in her nightmares and this quickly proved that Alice was in a dream.

"... I hope she's not around… nor Sans." Alice mumbled to herself in a reserved way.

Dream or not, she was not in the mood to hearing 'Alice' speak to her creepily again, bearing witness to something tragic, or being killed violently by Sans because of seemingly harming someone close to him. Granted this sight of Undyne's corpse was probably tragic to Papyrus and Monster Kid as well as many others but for now Alice only felt slight pity. There was also something unusual about this whole situation. She heard a very vague melody coming from somewhere, akin to the music box. It was a powerful, intense ballad like one you might here when battling a true hero. It was subtle and quiet, almost like a bird's call in a forest. Beyond this strange music, she also realized that this was the first dream she had where the murder had happened and wasn't happening. Granted in the dream with Papyrus and Sans, Papyrus had already been killed but Alice herself had become part of Sans murder. So in a sense, she was witnessing the aftermath of presumably 'Alice' at it again. _I wonder if it's a sign Chara's influence isn't as strong anymore,_ Alice pondered as she knew that 'Alice' was somewhat connected to him.

"It sounds like it came from over here…"

"...?!" Alice flinched and looked around instinctively when she heard a new voice she had never heard before calling out towards her.

It sounded very young and innocent, also rather boyish. It wasn't quite like Monster Kid's voice and in fact it had a strange gentleness and almost soft-spoken quality that seemed to remind Alice of someone…

"H-hello…?" Alice called out worried.

At that moment she saw someone approaching her and she was struck speechless. It was a small goat boy wearing a green long-sleeved shirt with yellow stripes and black pants. The shirt looked almost exactly like the one Chara wore but yet his species made Alice feel infinitely more comfortable. If Alice hadn't been able to tell it had been a boy from the voice, she would've theorized this was Toriel as a little girl. This revelation quickly made Alice wonder who he was and what he was doing.

"Oh! You've fallen down haven't you.." The goat said.

"Well yes… though it wasn't quite by my own will." Alice explained as best she could without seeming naive.

"Are you ok? Here, get up.."

"... Huh? But I'm already up…" Alice pointed out.

The goat said something very strange just now, because Alice had indeed gotten up as soon as she had gotten her bearings. Dream or not it didn't seem reasonable for the goat to say that. Furthermore, she noticed that the goat seemed to be looking right through her and hadn't noticed Undyne's corpse at all. He did look really adorable up close… in fact Alice was so girlishly captivated by the cuteness of the goat that she didn't notice he walked right through her like Napstablook might've done. So Alice turned around very confused, just in time to hear the goat say,

"... Chara, huh? That's a nice name."

"Chara?!" Alice exclaimed suddenly.

When she looked, she could indeed see the form of Chara cradled in the goat's arms. Though there was something more innocent about his appearance despite Alice being unable to see his face. Alice began worrying about her status in the dream and then suddenly the dream began to fade from existence as the goat's next words became distorted.

"My name is-"

Alice found herself laying down on a patch of golden flowers, dazed and confused. She sat up and looked around to find herself… in another area of Waterfall. She had survived the fall but was left with more questions than ever.

"What was all that about…?" She asked herself.

To Be Continued...


	16. All the Best People Are

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 15 All the Best People Are…

Finally gathering her bearings, and realizing the umbrella she had brought with her had disappeared in the fall, Alice sat up and looked around cautiously. She noticed there was a large waterfall falling into some sort of levee and that the water level was high enough to go up to slightly above Alice's knees. There were also unsightly piles of garbage in the distance and some small stone steps above the water. Due to the circumstances she could at least consider the positive fact that she was away from Undyne and had time to catch her breath. What was most concerning was that the dream she just had was mind-boggling. Not only was it so drastically different from the others, but she had seen a mysterious and adorable goat boy who seemed to know Chara. Alice knew she had to gather as much information and potential clues as she could from that dream. First and foremost was that Chara was in that dream and that it all took place in the Ruins.

"Now I know Chara has left the Ruins by now and he never mentioned any sort of acquaintance like that goat… could that have been a glimpse into his past? But why would that appear in my dream…?" Alice asked herself baffled.

 _It does seem as though he fell in very much like I did but was it really the same rabbit hole?_ For some reason, Alice didn't think Chara had entered the Underground the same way she had. Probably because it seemed as though Chara came from the future if Alice had arrived here from a century ago. It was true that he guided her through the rabbit hole but… for some reason it didn't seem plausible for him to have used the rabbit hole on his first time entering the Underground. Plus Toriel had told her about Mt. Ebott and even if Alice had never heard about it or seen it for herself, it's existence had evidence from the monsters to support it and was the only way into the Underground according to them. _So Chara fell into the Ruins by Mt. Ebott… wait._ Something occurred to Alice too that Chara first arrived at the Underground some time before Alice got here through time travel and possibly before the other human souls were collected. That lead into the main question of who the goat boy was?

"If only I could ask Toriel… she would certainly know who he was." Alice said a bit bitterly.

He seemed very friendly and greeted Chara kindly. Yet if Chara had been the same back then as he was now… then there was an unfortunate implication that the goat boy was dead by now. But why was he in the Ruins and considering he was a goat like Toriel, did that entail some kind of connection? _He did seem like he could've been her son or cousin but why wouldn't she have mentioned him?_ Alice had to wonder about that part significantly as he couldn't have been one of the children Toriel had mentioned having come and gone as he wasn't human… _wait_. " _Hmm… did someone else live here at one point? Although I feel in this isolated place, Toriel is not one to have company… did she have someone special in her life?"_ Alice recalled saying that back in Toriel's house when she had found the third room in the hallway that had "Room under renovations" upon the door. The White Rabbit of DETERMINATION had even confirmed with a nod that Toriel did have someone special in her life.

"...! Oh my goodness… t-then… that really is her son…" Alice suddenly gasped and put a hand to her mouth as her eyes widened to dish plates.

Through this theory, Chara had fallen into the Underground some time before Alice arrived and had been greeted by the Toriel's son. Alice was sure that Toriel had probably been in the ruins at the time because Toriel distinctly recalled recent Underground history and had seen six human children meet their ends. Even further, the goat boy had arrived at the spot much like how Toriel had said she came by that area often to see if human children had fallen down. There were also three rooms in the house's hallway. The first of which probably had been where Chara stayed in since it had been offered to Alice as well and had furnishings a human child would like. The second was Toriel's room and third one was the mysterious room under renovations. What if that third room had been the goat boy's? Then that would've meant Toriel truly did have a son and he was no longer around for some reason. _How tragic…_ Alice thought with a deep regret in her heart. She couldn't imagine how hard that must've been for Toriel, especially once she started losing human children who fell into the Underground as well. Alice realized she had definitely figured out something that would be important but she still didn't know his name, his whereabouts, and of course what became of Chara after he was found by the goat boy.

"Well I suppose that's enough intellectual thinking for now. Oh… I do hope this water isn't slimy or anything." Alice wished to herself as she finally got up and braced herself for wading through the water.

Regrettably the water turned out to be fairly cold and Alice shivered after she dipped herself into the water. Her skirt even insisted on floating over the water so Alice had to push it down the best she could. Hoping to reach dry land and perhaps a fireplace soon, she continued walking through the water and passed by the garbage pile to find there were no brands she recognized. Knowing that trying to pick something out from the garbage pile would probably lead to nowhere, she merely continued onto the next area. She soon noticed that the waterfall here seemed to be flowing from the ceiling of the cavern and that occasionally a piece of trash would flow through and fall into the bottomless abyss below. This endless cycle of worthless garbage filled Alice with some sort of determination, she wasn't quite sure why. To the credit of this rather unappealing place, it was making Alice very curious about where it was located and where the path would lead. As she entered the next area, she noticed some rather familiar pieces of trash this time. T.V's that looked like the one from the skeleton brothers house, a lone bicycle with an old-fashioned horn that honked a song of despair, a beat-up desktop computer like the one Papyrus had, and most curiously a strange box that seemed to have a cooling interior like the machine in the kitchens of the homes she visited thus far (She was beginning to regret not asking what it was). Inside the cooling device she found what appeared to be some sort of food bars, freeze-dried and apparently marked 'Astronaut Food'.

"What on earth is an astronaut?" Alice asked.

It sounded so nonsensical she was surprised she hadn't come up with the word herself. The wrapper showed what appeared to be some kind of sterile white traveling device shaped like a castle spire with wings flying through a night sky. _Perhaps some sort of flying machine user then_ , she unconfidently offered to herself. The last thing she found was a strange case that appeared to hold some kind of product. The cover showed a very beautiful, artistic image and the back seemed to contain information about a rather flowery plot much like a book would. Even more bizarrely was the fact there were desperate claw marks all over it, as if someone tried to pry the case open forcefully. _Maybe this is related to the T.V_ , Alice suggested. She understood that it was relatively useless to her now so Alice turned to the last thing standing in the water and was surprised.

"Is that… the training dummy from the Ruins?" Alice inquired as she approached.

Besides a slightly darker bronzed shade from what she remembered the last dummy having, it certainly was a training dummy. What was odd about this was that it looked like it was in mint condition and didn't seem like it belonged in this junkyard. Alice had no intentions of beating it up so she simply stared into its eyes for a moment. Nothing seemed to happen in particular and Alice was a bit relieved that it wasn't some sort of trap or trick. Although, for some reason, it made Alice feel a bit lonelier than she had been in quite some time. Carrying on her way through the water, she decided to try to call Papyrus with her phone (Fortunately kept dry in Alice's apron pocket) but there was no response.

"Oh bother… this truly means I'm all alone… and who would ever think to look for me here in a junkyard? … Well I mean I suppose that whoever-" Alice was debating her situation when suddenly she heard a strange noise.

It sounded like a dramatic instrument being played in a way as though to reveal something shocking. As Alice turned around she suddenly took notice of a drastic change within the dummy. It was now completely bronze and wore a very human expression. Two severe-looking eyes with nothing but anger in them had opened up with accompanying eyebrows. Alice's first reaction was confusion but then she began to feel quite nervous when she realized that this dummy looked very aggressive and she was all alone. The dummy shook briefly in barely controlled rage before it dived into the water and made Alice wrap herself up in her arms in an attempt at a defensive position. Yet the Dummy emerged quite quickly behind Alice, floating menacingly in the air and leaving a shadow upon the water. That's when Alice heard it speak to her,

"Hahaha… Too intimidated to fight me, huh!? I am a ghost that lives inside a DUMMY."

It sounded rather grouchy and like an old man which actually served to cheer Alice up a little about this situation. Had it sounded anything like Flowey or Chara or an upset Sans and she would've been petrified. Still she was surprised to learn that ghosts could live inside objects and essentially possess them in the Underground. Napstablook had done no such thing but it seemed as though even he could potentially take over an inanimate object and give it life. _It's actually a rather versatile ability if you think about it,_ Alice's approval echoed in her head. Although that was figured out, Alice wasn't sure why he was glaring at her with such intensity or why he was seemingly trying to challenge her. She needed to defend herself and fast.

"W-well it's not so much that I was intimidated Mr. Dummy, but I just don't believe in needless violence. Um… so what-"

"My cousin used to live in a DUMMY, too. Until… YOU CAME ALONG!" The dummy interrupted Alice with a bellowing statement.

"I-I beg your pardon?" Alice asked genuinely flabbergasted.

The only dummy Alice had encountered was the one Toriel had introduced to her in the lesson about being a Pacifist. Alice had no idea that such a simple act and encounter would be brought up again in this sort of fashion so she began going over what happened in that instance. She didn't recall anything happening to the dummy while and after she had spoken to it, granted Toriel had taken her along quite quickly into the next room after she was done.

"When you talked to them, they thought they were in for a nice chat… But the things you SAID…! Horrible. Shocking! UNBELIEVABLE!" The dummy accused Alice.

"Wait just a moment, all I said towards the dummy was my what my name was and how it was a pleasure to meet their acquaintance. I even asked them for their name. How could that have possibly been perceived as horrible?" Alice asked, slightly offended at what was becoming a false accusation.

"Well it was horrible! You spooked them right out of their dummy you foolish human."

"Humph, how do I know you aren't making all this up just so you can have an excuse to attack me? For I know I didn't do or say anything that could possibly offend them that much. I even have a witness!" Alice shouted combatively.

"My friend came to me distraught and shaken at your cruel words! How can you be so MINDLESS?!" The dummy bellowed.

"Cruel words indeed! Well I'm sorry but I haven't the time nor the patience to defend myself against such baseless accusations!" Alice cried, slamming the water with her fist to emphasize her annoyance with the dummy.

"Well if you can't defend yourself, that'll make things much easier! HUMAN! I'll scare your SOUL right out of your body!" The dummy declared as it flashed red and shook once more.

Alice realized another battle was about to begin and identified the dummy as Mad Dummy. _What an insult to the concept of being 'Mad',_ Alice thought as her Wonderland had a lot of delightfully mad people. Granted this was a ghost she was dealing with so she could afford to go a bit more offensive than she had in previous battles. Furthermore she was very angry at this Mad Dummy so she was prepared to make it pay. Physical attacks wouldn't work but perhaps some DETERMINATION would for this battle. For the most part though, Alice wanted to let Mad Dummy make the first move to see how they fought.

"Futile. Futile! FUTILE!" The Mad Dummy yelled.

To Alice's surprise, little figures that appeared to be mini dummies (That looked a lot more peaceful than Mad Dummy) appeared from thin air and flung what seemed to be magical balls of yarn at her. Alice dodged them easily enough but soon noticed that some had been conjured behind her. Alice barely managed to fling herself out of the way, splashing water about and heard a strange sound of impact. Recovering from the water, she looked to see Mad Dummy with an expression of anguish upon his face. She wasn't sure why he was doing this until he spoke up,

"OWWWW, you DUMMIES! Watch where you're aiming your MAGIC attacks! … Hey! You! Forget I said anything about MAGIC!"

Trying to play it cool, the Mad Dummy had rather naively revealed a very useful weakness to Alice that she realized would be crucial to defeating him. The mini dummies attacks could also harm Mad Dummy as much as they could harm her. _That confirms I could purposely lead them to hit him and that my own MAGIC should do the trick,_ Alice thought with a cheerful smile. Alice wasn't sure what to do in the meantime though as Mad Dummy was far from the type to be up for conversation. She was fine with this though there were others who weren't happy with this.

"I'll defeat you and take your SOUL! I'll use your SOUL to cross the barrier!" Mad Dummy envisioned as he bossed around his bullets.

"And you wouldn't even try to find a way to break the barrier for the other monsters to roam free? How selfish!" Alice scolded as she was able to evade and redirect several of Mad Dummy's bullets into hitting himself.

"Oh be quiet and lemme finish my DREAMS! I'll stand in the window of a fancy store, THEN EVERYTHING I WANT WILL BE MINE!" Mad Dummy insulted Alice as he started moving to and fro mid-air in a subtly evasive manner.

Alice unfortunately wasn't as fortunate with the next barrage of attacks as a few did hit her this time. The water was beginning to really slow her down which made Alice wonder if she should try zoning Mad Dummy away from her or have a construct fight in her place. She was still able to land Mad Dummy's attacks against him but she wouldn't be able to keep it up like this for much longer. He was hopping mad and proving a worthy opponent.

"Is that what your cousin would've wanted?" Alice asked him rather honestly.

"Huh? Yeah, I guess that'll avenge my cousin. What was their name again?" Mad Dummy replied nonchalantly as he started getting cotton everywhere.

This time the pattern of the mini-dummies attacks changed as they themselves became the projectiles and flew at Alice in a row. Alice, still trying her best not to get wet, leapt out of the path of them before having to once again dodge MAGIC ball projectiles. _It's clear he's trying to trick me and make his attacks unpredictable,_ Alice concluded as she felt satisfied upon hearing the impact sound.

"Whatever. Whatever! WHATEVER! Foolish. Foolish! FOOLISH! Futile. Futile! FUTILE!" Mad Dummy started shrieking and screaming furiously as the endless barrage seemed to continue.

Alice couldn't handle trying to dodge in the water anymore, most of her stamina drained in that regard, so she quickly ducked behind a pile of garbage to figure out what she should do next. She decided that her DETERMINATION would be the only way of truly stopping and defeating Mad Dummy at this point.

"The first step towards defeating someone who is mad is to be mad yourself..." Alice said to herself as she focused on creating a new being of DETERMINATION.

Mad Dummy was looking for where Alice was to properly direct his bullets but then noticed something golden beginning to take shape on the water. It appeared to be a fairly big rabbit or hare with a shirt, coat, collar and bowtie, pants, fluff of hair, and big shoes. All of it was distinctly golden and he appeared to be holding a teacup and saucer that he sipped tea from. It was certainly a very gallant creature but Mad Dummy only saw it as an obstacle to his dreams coming true.

"Pitiful. Pitiful! PITIFUL! Stay out of my way rabbit! The human is mine!" Mad Dummy angrily ordered.

Sending forth bullets at the strange creature, Mad Dummy was shocked to see the hare easily dodge the bullets with natural agility and easily lead the bullets towards where he levitated. The hare was even able to hold onto the golden tea cup and saucer and drink whatever was inside without spilling a drop. Mad Dummy took the blows and was quickly wearing thin with his patience.

"HEY GUYS! Dummies. Dummies! DUMMIES! Remember how I said NOT to shoot at me? Well… FAILURES! YOU'RE FIRED! YOU'RE ALL BEING REPLACED!" Mad Dummy roared as it's body trembled furiously.

"Looks like the March Hare is as persistent as ever." Alice said to herself with a smile as she watched the mini-dummies look shocked at the announcement but disappear in accordance to Mad Dummy's command.

The March Hare had been a somewhat brash and abrupt character in Wonderland and also a bit rude which made him the perfect character to tango with the Mad Dummy. His hare agility and unique qualities were clearly proving to be effective though Alice had to wonder what Mad Dummy was intent on using as a replacement. _For the moment though I do have an advantage,_ Alice thought proudly. Mad Dummy cackled with an unnerving loss of sanity present in his voice.

"Hahaha. Hahaha! HAHAHA! Now you'll see my true power: Relying on people that aren't garbage!" Mad Dummy asserted himself.

Mechanical whirrs began to fill the room and Alice looked around nervously to make sure she wasn't in for a sneak attack. As for the March Hare, it quickly realized things were about to get more serious. Discarding his tea cup and saucer, he summoned a mallet of DETERMINATION and looked around warily for any signs of danger. Mad Dummy made the first move.

"DUMMY BOTS! MAGIC MISSILE!"

Several robotic-looking mini-dummies appeared and this time fired projectiles that looked remarkably similar to the device portrayed on the Astronaut Food wrapping paper. They even appeared to be following March Hare whenever he moved out of the way. Fortunately it was only for a short amount of time as they launched past him when they couldn't seem to track him down anymore. Alice was relieved that she had made the choice to switch places with the March Hare in time because she knew she could never outrun those missiles in the constricting water.

"DUMMY BOTS! TRY AGAIN! DUMMY BOTS! You're awful?" Mad Dummy's further attempts at attacking weren't paying off as well as he had hoped.

March Hare was simply too fast and too easily able to leap out of the way of the missiles long enough before their trajectory was automatically set. Not to mention March Hare could also use his hammer to knock certain missiles away should they get too close. Mad Dummy appeared to not be taking it very well as he glared into a mirror, then turned to March Hare with the same expression. Alice wondered if he knew that she had gone into hiding since he was currently consumed with the idea of keeping the March Hare from being the one to claim the human's SOUL. However his next words seemed to indicate he was getting serious,

"DUMMY BOTS! FINAL ATTACK!"

A mix of rowed mini-dummies and magic missiles were hurled at March Hare who did have to spend considerable effort dodging each attack seamlessly while still leading them on to strike Mad Dummy. It did take two hits from the missiles but also was able to redirect a good number of magic missiles to Mad Dummy. It even whammed it's mallet against Mad Dummy's head after the missiles had hit, sending Mad Dummy plummeting into the water with a momentous splash. Mad Dummy quickly rose up, sopping wet and with an expression of disbelief.

"(N… No way!) (These guys are even WORSE than the other guys!) Who cares. Who cares! WHO CARES! I DON'T NEED FRIENDS! I'VE GOT KNIVES!" Mad Dummy flipped out and conjured a knife from thin air.

After throwing the knife towards March Hare, the March Hare simply hit it aside with his mallet leaving Mad Dummy incredibly still. Alice couldn't help but feel glad that Mad Dummy was brought down to such a stunned, vulnerable level. It was poetic justice for how he had accused Alice of being this horrible person who scared his cousin when she knew there was no reason for her to have scared his cousin and that he was only after her SOUL. Out of the many victories she had down here, Alice felt as though this would go down as among the most personally satisfying ones. She even decided to speak up from behind her hiding place.

"Well it looks like all of your attacks are fairly unreliable." Alice said a bit boastfully.

"You… WERE HIDING THE WHOLE TIME?! Unbelievable. Unbelievable! UNBELIEVABLE! You're lucky I'm out of knives little girl and out of useless dummies! EITHER WAY I CAN'T HURT YOU AND YOU CAN ONLY MERELY HURT ME WITH THAT STUPID HARE! I DOUBT IT'LL STICK AROUND AS LONG AS I CAN! YOU'LL BE STUCK FIGHTING ME… Forever. Forever! FOREVER!" Mad Dummy absolutely lost his marbles and each part of his body moved separately in violent rhythm.

He then cackled and howled with a menacing and delusional laughter. It was the kind of laughter that would sadly fit right in with Wonderland and made Alice wonder if she should regulate her imagination a bit to keep the madness from ever going this far. That's when something extraordinary happened. Droplets of a very familiar substance began to rain down on Mad Dummy, impact sounds meaning that they were hurting him. He grumbled and the pieces of his body regrouped to form Mad Dummy once more.

"Wh… what the heck is this!? Ergh! Acid rain!? Oh, FORGET IT! I'm outta here!" Mad Dummy complained before he left with a strange accompanying sound.

March Hare bowed and disappeared once Mad Dummy's threat was finally gone and Alice emerged from her hiding place formally to see what was responsible. The relief of Mad Dummy disappearing for good wasn't as much as the relief that was quickly building up inside of her. She was on bated breath and as soon as she saw the culprit, she realized her hunch had been absolutely correct. She gasped and her eyes began to water with tears of joy as she put her hands to her mouth. The sight of Napstablook, descending gently down to her level was breathtaking on a whole different level. The proof that it was him and not anybody else was what he said,

"... sorry, i interrupted you, didn't i? as soon as i came over, your friend immediately left… oh no… you guys looked like you were having fun…"

"... N-Napstablook… h-he wasn't really my friend… a-and… oh Napstablook it's you! It's really you!" Alice couldn't hide her overwhelming relief and joy at finally reuniting with him and ran over to hug him.

Granted with him being a ghost, the most she could do was pretend to wrap her arms around him but it still felt like the necessary thing to do. Napstablook was honestly surprised and even appeared to blush slightly at this display of emotion. It had been so long since someone was this joyful and happy to see him that they were crying.

"oh no… don't cry alice… i just wanted to say hi… i'm sorry i didn't respect your time though…" He apologized very humbly.

"Ngh… Napstablook… t-there's so much I have to tell you… I-I've been wanting to say 'thank you' to you for the longest time… wahh…. you saved me… if i-it weren't for you telling me about Waterfall… about what I could find in the Underground… I-I wouldn't be here right now… thank you… uuu..." Alice lowered all sense of guard and honestly stated her true appreciation for the ghost with sobs throughout.

Napstablook, who always wore a somewhat open mouth and wide eyed expression, looked at her with notable surprise. He never thought he had any sort of influence on anyone like this. He had such a simple life with friends moving on and him pursuing his dreams and keeping things running in good order while trying to be a nice ghost to all he met. To see that he was being shown so much gratitude from Alice, who was one of the most interesting and nicest people he ever met felt like an incredible birthday gift. He wasn't one to relish in pride and attention upon doing something nice for someone so he just nervously laughed and tried to help Alice stop crying.

"well... i know you wanted to find out more about where i came from so… i just told you what i knew about waterfall. you were so curious after all…" Napstablook replied gently.

"... Y-yes… but it was that description that gave me the courage to change my fate… t-to… do so many amazing things… I'll always remember that Napstablook." Alice said as she wiped her tears away.

"... what amazing things did you see alice?" Napstablook asked thoughtfully.

Granted Alice truly was happy but Napstablook wasn't really sure about seeing someone else, especially a friend, crying when he was the one who usually cried. Alice seemed to understand this as she gathered her composure and began to recount her journey. Every single moment, from the Ruins to Waterfall was told with great passion, joy, and spirit from Alice. Napstablook was delighted, shocked, worried, amazed, and dazzled all in one after hearing the story of Alice's adventures Underground. All the new friends she made, all the new discoveries she found, and how far her DETERMINATION had taken her made him feel honored to have known her and helped her. Granted he was now aware that she was being hunted down which made him very worried but he also felt so inspired by her stories. _it'd make great music,_ he thought.

"you... really are special alice… i'm so happy everything has turned out alright for you here… i wasn't sure if you'd like waterfall that much…" Napstablook admitted.

"I do truly like it Napstablook but… I do also want to see you all be free. All these experiences… these memories… they are wonderful but I know that more is waiting out there for all of you and that's why I'm going to break the barrier." Alice said as her resolve couldn't be broken anymore.

"that... sounds like a lovely thought alice… um… you know… i'm going to head home now… you're free to "come with" if you want… but no pressure… i understand if you're busy… it's-"

"Oh I would simply love that Napstablook! I am soaking wet and could definitely appreciate some nice, warm hospitality." Alice interrupted what would likely be a shy tirade of statements to show great excitement at the idea.

"...oh… are you sure…? i thought i'd just offer the idea but if you say so… i'd love having you over alice…" Napstablook confessed with a rare smile.

With that Napstablook floated over to where an easily accessible ledge above water level was and Alice followed after him. Relieved to finally be out of the water, she quickly started squeezing the water out of her clothes and tried to dry off the best way she could at the moment. After several moments of these antics, she followed after Napstablook into a new area and she finally realized she was back on track towards exploring Waterfall. She saw three separate paths, a small lake, and Napstablook floating in the air much like a buoy on the sea. Alice already felt a spark of great curiousity on seeing these three separate paths but she decided that she needed warmth and food most so she waited for Napstablook's response. He was floating in front of the middle path and seemed eager in his own unique Napstablook way.

"Hey… my house is up here… in case you want to see… or in case… you don't…" Napstablook spoke softly to Alice.

"Well I definitely would appreciate seeing it so thank you Napstablook." Alice curtsied politely as she gave her thanks.

Sure enough, Napstablook floated down the path and there was a calming tranquility in the area. It certainly helped Alice recover any lost DETERMINATION and made her feel safe and sound from Undyne or any danger that the Underground seemed to possess. Dashing after Napstablook, Alice was once again surprised by the discovery she made. There were two houses as opposed to one and they were of a very abnormal shape standing side by side. If Alice had to be honest, they were shaped like a ghost leaning over though both were facing in opposite directions. The left one was blue and appeared to be dark inside while the one on the right was a delicate pink and had the lights on. Going by logic, Napstablook's house was more than likely the pink one. But when she tried opening the door, she realized it was locked.

"Eh…? Oh… so then the house on the left must be Napstablook's. But why leave the lights off?" Alice asked curiously and slightly embarrassed at having made such a simple mistake.

As she tried opening the blue door, she found that it opened perfectly easily. Inside was Napstablook… wearing some sort of head accessory that looked rather modern (At least in terms of the Underground as opposed to Alice's time) standing by a computer on a desk. There was also a T.V, another big cooling machine with two doors, cobwebs (That had a very familiar bake sale advertisement on it), and three devices lined up against the wall that looked as though they played music. Napstablook had been facing the computer but quickly sensed Alice's presence and turned to her.

"oh... you really came… th-thank you for coming… sorry there isn't much to see… make yourself at home…" Napstablook murmured.

"Well I think this is a rather…. quaint home Napstablook. Though I have to confess I have two questions that may seem trivial but are relatively important in my opinion." Alice prepared Napstablook for some questions she was intent on asking.

"i'll answer them to the best of my ability…" Napstablook said.

"What are you wearing and what is the name of that device? I've seen it before but I never have had the chance to find out it's name…" She was pointing to the cooling device in question as she spoke.

"Oh… that's ok… i'm wearing headphones… they play music and sound at a more definite volume… but you have to plug them into a slot to use them… and that's a refrigerator…" Napstablook replied sweetly.

"Ah, a refrigerator… thank you. Now, as you were saying?" Alice asked as she looked at the refrigerator with a newfound respect.

"are you hungry…? i could get you something to eat…" Napstablook then proceeded to fly over to the refrigerator and pulled out something from it without opening the door.

Alice was wondering what he had gotten for her and looked as Napstablook offered her what looked like a translucent sandwich. _Doesn't really look like something edible,_ Alice thought a bit sheepishly. She didn't want to hurt Napstablook's feelings though so she merely stated,

"Well that's quite alright Napstablook... I do have some food of my own that I can eat and save you some trouble but thank you for offering me this sandwich… what is it called?"

"a ghost sandwich… and i see…" Napstablook sighed and put the sandwich back into the refrigerator.

Sensing an oncoming awkwardness, Alice pulled out the second Nice Cream she had bought earlier from Waterfall and started to eat it. To her delight the flavor was a very pleasant Neapolitan flavor. As she was eating, Napstablook watched her and wondered if he should tell Alice something. He surely wasn't that confident in keeping guests entertained and a bit nervous but he did want to do something special for Alice. As Alice was almost finished with her Nice Cream, he summoned the confidence to speak his mind.

"after a great meal i like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage… it's a family tradition… do you want… to join me alice…?" He asked.

"A family tradition to feel like garbage? Somehow that sounds rather questionable but I suppose there's no harm in trying." Alice confessed as she finished up her Nice Cream and threw the wrapper away.

The wrapper this time around had said 'Is this as sweet as you?' Alice, now feeling much dryer and almost completely dry altogether, set herself comfortably on the ground and laid down as Napstablook lay beside her. The floor was surprisingly comfortable for being merely made of wood. Alice wasn't sure what Napstablook wanted to do next so she waited for further instruction.

"here we go… you'll lie down as long as you don't move. so... only move around when you want to get up, i guess." Napstablook's instructions were surprisingly simple.

"Very well… are we allowed to talk during this or no?" Alice inquired.

"... i wouldn't recommend it… a-at least it's always better when it's quiet…" Napstablook stammered.

"I understand." Alice said as she began to feel quite rested.

After a while… something extraordinary happened. It was as if the room around her was shifting and morphing into some new incredible sight. She saw stars, blackness, lights, all of which appeared to be limitless possibilities. She wondered if this was the outer space she had read about in science books. The real question though was how was this appearing before her and Napstablook? Was it some sort of special magical state of mind? Or maybe she was just so relaxed it was bringing to life an equally relaxing image. Either way, Alice was simply dazzled and looked around peacefully for several more minutes until she decided she had enough. She got up to her feet, dispelling the strange image of outer space almost instantly, and spoke gently to Napstablook.

"Thanks for sharing that with me Napstablook. That was truly astounding. I never have seen outer space before… and most humans in my time haven't even seen it from such close proximity." She giggled a little to herself at the thought.

"... really? … that's really nice to know… you're going to be famous…" Napstablook said, floating upward.

"... Well on second thought I have no idea if I would be famous over such a simple fact. It's also rather trivial at the moment… um what kind of shows do you like to watch on your T.V?" Alice asked as she turned her attentions to the T.V.

"there is one show i like to watch on it… sometimes…" Napstablook looked away a bit awkwardly.

"Is it related to MTT by any chance?" Alice asked as she recalled seeing that acronym when she and Papyrus were watching his T.V.

"why... yes. how did you know alice…?" Napstablook asked very surprised.

"One of my friends has a T.V and it seems that whatever he was watching was sponsored by this MTT. Do you know what it stands for?"

"... METTATON… but i don't really want to talk about it right now…" Napstablook confessed in a somewhat more somber tone even for him.

"METTATON? Hmm… well if you insist I won't pressure you about it but thank you for answering me." Alice, respecting Napstablook's company more than finding information, did cease her questioning at his request.

"sure…"

Alice was starting to think about who this Mettaton could be. Napstablook had said 'it' so the gender was ambiguous for the moment and to be honest Mettaton sounded like a really strange name. They appeared to be very famous and a strong source of television in the Underground but were they someone that held any importance towards Alice? _Although given that they could easily use television to spread propaganda about me it's probably better I meet them in person so I can explain things,_ Alice decided. Alice was also slightly worried by how Napstablook's mood seemed to grow more severe at mentioning Mettaton. It was very probable that he knew Mettaton in some way although he didn't seem to hate Mettaton entirely. Nonetheless, it seemed Mettaton was a topic Napstablook was uncomfortable with. Trying to find something else to talk about, she looked towards the computer and saw that on the screen appeared to be some sort of page related to music and sharing music. There were things to click 'play' on and different song titles. Turning to the three devices laid out in a row against the wall, Alice decided to ask Napstablook,

"Say Napstablook… what exactly are those three devices you have there?"

"... these are cd players… i mix tapes of my own with them… i don't know if they are any good though… you are welcome to listen alice." Napstablook replied with slightly more spirit.

"Hmm… 'Ghouliday Music'... Sans would find great delight in these titles." Alice said as she played the first one.

To her shock a rather spooky and even scary tune began to play that sounded like something wailing in an unnerving fashion. She quickly shut it off in fright, even though she knew it was slightly rude.

"aww... the lyrics would've been so much fun to sing along to…" Napstablook pointed out.

"Err… I just prefer songs that have a bit more… of a melody?" Alice defended her hastiness rather lamely even to herself.

Seeing 'Spookwave' as the next CD, Alice turned it on. It was still fairly creepy but the melody was actually quite solid and decent to listen to compared to the simple howling of 'Ghouliday Music'.

"dang... that ambience… it's like my whole body is being spooked…" Napstablook commented.

"Why would you produce music that scares even yourself?" Alice asked confused.

"well... it creates a state of mind… and it's fun to do for certain people who are into that sort of thing…" Napstablook blushed again as he seemed that he hadn't realized that irony until Alice brought it up to him.

The final CD was entitled 'Spooktunes' but when she played it… she was stunned to find it was basically the same as 'Spookwave' but with a different tone and pitch. _Clearly Napstablook is still developing his musical mixing style,_ she thought a bit perplexed by the whole thing. Still she was grateful that Napstablook had shared his music with her as a dear friend so that made this awkwardness all the more worth it.

"oh… a classic spooktune… they don't make songs like this anymore…" Napstablook stated.

"Well that's probably because your musical tastes are forever tied to the classics." Alice suggested.

"heh... that's a nice way to put it… you know some people call my music mad…"

Alice knew exactly what to say in response to that. The perfect way to show her appreciation and thanks at being reunited with her great friend. A quote she hoped to mark as hers forever someday. She knew she couldn't stay with Napstablook forever so it was important to cherish these moments in the Underground to let the monsters she cared about know exactly what she was feeling. As soon as she left Napstablook… she would be on the hunt again and it was important to stay positive about this situation and remember his company as a source of strength. So looking at him and pretending to put her hands on his shoulders, she spoke with a honest joy,

"Don't worry Napstablook, even if you were completely mad in your musical tastes, there's a secret I have to tell you. All the best people are."

 _Besides dummies that is,_ she thought playfully.

To Be Continued...


	17. say hOI ALISE!

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 16 say hOI ALISE!

Stepping outside of Napstablook's house after being told there was more to see, Alice followed Napstablook as he led her along towards the right path past the houses. Given that she was within his company, she felt perfectly safe as well as excited to spend more time with him. She had no idea what to expect either so naturally she was surprised when she found something that was actually something she would've found at home. There was a pen, much like one you would find at a farm, with several snails within it. One snail looked like it was counting bills, one looked very plain, the other seemed unusually big with a suit and feeling they were overdue for a second house and the last one had a mustache and seemed to speak to her. With a curious mantra of 'snail, snail', Alice translated roughly,

"A long journey extends in front of you… Reach far and stretch beyond the horizons. So Snaileth Sam Byool."

"S-snails…?" Alice asked as she put a hand to her mouth in surprise.

"awkward... i'm working right now… i mean… welcome to the blook family snail farm… yeah. i'm the only employee." Napstablook admitted after being a bit transparent until Alice had come closer.

"A snail farm? What do you farm snails for?" Alice asked with confusion.

She had heard of snails being used in dishes like escargot but she also knew they were known as garden pests. She couldn't imagine why anyone, let alone a ghost, would have a whole farm of them.

"well... it's for a special sort of activity that our customers loved to watch… this place used to get a lot of business… but our main customer disappeared one day… now it's just some hairy guy that shows up once a month…" Napstablook said as he looked at the three snails with a bit of pity but also a smile of care.

"Well if need be I could be a customer. This activity sounds very fascinating." Alice said trying to be kind.

"... thanks alice… i just hope you enjoy it… it's not for everyone…" Napstablook said as he seemed to disappear.

Alice was about to follow him when she realized something. Out in the open and safe, she finally had a chance to check in with Papyrus and let him know she was alive. She quickly reached into her pockets to pull out her phone. Despite her skirt having been in water earlier, the contents within her apron seemed perfectly dry. _That's quite fortunate_ , she thought. Dialing the number quickly, she soon got a spirited response from Papyrus,

"AH! ALICE! THESE SNAILS ARE JUST LIKE MY BROTHER. ROUND, SLOW… AND CONSTANTLY EMITTING SLIME?"

"Papyrus! It's simply lovely to hear your voice again. I was able to survive a very close encounter with Undyne and it was quite scary." Alice confessed, a little surprised Papyrus knew exactly where she was.

"WONDERFUL! NYEH HEH HEH! I KNEW YOU COULD SURVIVE! ERR… NOT THAT MY FRIEND WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT BUT… I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU ARE SAFE AND SOUND. SO WHY HAVE YOU CALLED BEYOND SENDING THE WORD OF YOUR SAFETY?"

"Well… I finally figured out from a good friend down here that MTT stands for Mettaton. I recall you watching a show from their production company and I was simply wondering if you knew anymore information on it." Alice stated.

"AH, METTATON! HE'S MY FAVORITE SEXY RECTANGLE! A CELEBRITY, A HERO, A GREAT-"

"Pardon me but… 'sexy?' I've never heard that term before... and what do you mean by rectangle?" Alice inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Granted she was glad to hear confirmation that Mettaton was a 'he' but the description of a 'rectangle' made absolutely no sense and what could 'sexy' mean? She had never heard that term before and even if it was in England at the time, her sister hadn't used that term towards her. _It seems to be a positive adjective at least,_ Alice thought given Papyrus's tone. To her even greater confusion, Papyrus was currently stammering on the phone. He sounded like a child who had just been caught sneaking a cookie from the cookie jar. It was actually rather amusing though Alice wasn't sure why he was acting like this.

"U-UH… W-WELL… ALICE… YOU SEE… BY RECTANGLE HE'S… UM… A ROBOT… OF SORTS… A-AND I DON'T REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT 'SEXY' MEANS…" He said it in a tone that sounded truly embarrassed.

"A robot?! Wait… you mean… like a genuine robot that actually can act on its own? That's… actually quite revolutionary." Alice gasped with amazement.

"Y-YES… ALPHYS ACTUALLY DESIGNED HIM. HE'S… VERY APPEALING… AND HE'S ALSO THE MAIN SOURCE OF ENTERTAINMENT IN THE UNDERGROUND." Papyrus sounded a bit more relieved but it was clearly he was choosing certain words carefully.

 _So then it's essentially a performing robot that is in charge of the televised entertainment,_ Alice concluded. It seemed odd though for the Royal Scientist to design a robot to do something so trivial though. _Granted I've never met Alphys so it's not very appropriate to assume anything about her._ Given the fact that Napstablook also seemed to know Mettaton and felt uncomfortable about him seemed to be a rather important clue of sorts. Maybe it was the actual concept of a non-living robot being able to grasp and hold things physically that sparked some sort of envy within the ghost? Or was it something deeper and more personal…? Alice had a hunch it was more along the lines of the second one as Napstablook was extremely humble and didn't seem the type to get jealous at all. Finally it said a lot about the capabilities of Alphys and that she did justify her title with seemingly exceptional results. However…

"Um, you still haven't explained what 'sexy' means and although I might be being demanding, I would love to learn a new word. It's rare to hear a word I've never heard before that's not a nonsensical word of my own creation."

"... *SIGH* I GUESS FOR YOU ALICE. BUT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ONLY USING THIS TERM FOR SOMEONE YOU TRULY CARE ABOUT OR TRULY BELIEVE THEY DESERVE TO HEAR THIS WORD… OR BETTER YET USE IT WHEN THAT 'SOMEONE' ISN'T AROUND. IT BASICALLY MEANS VERY APPEALING AND EXCITING, ATTRACTIVE AND DESIRABLE." Papyrus explained carefully and considerately.

"... Like a parade?" Alice offered an example of what she considered 'sexy' to try to understand it better.

"YES! A PARADE! LIKE A PARADE OF BONE ATTACKS… WAIT! NO NOT LIKE THAT! I MEAN UM… LIKE A BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS." Papyrus clarified after referencing one of his own attacks.

"Ohhh, so it's like 'gorgeous' or 'lovely' in that regard."

"EXACTLY!" Papyrus exclaimed happily.

"Well thank you then Papyrus for teaching me that word. Is there any way I can thank you?" Alice inquired sweetly.

"W-WELL… YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE TO DO ANY FAVORS FOR ME ALICE. AS A TRUE, TRUE FRIEND THE GREAT PAPYRUS RESPECTS, I'D RATHER NOT DEMAND ANYTHING FROM YOU LIKE THIS." Papyrus replied with a whimsical tone.

Alice however felt as though it was sensible and also very respectful to give some sort of thanks to Papyrus so she quickly brainstormed several options on how to do it. One idea in particular stood out to her and seeing how things were going on her journey, rather plausible.

"Papyrus… how about if I introduce you to Mettaton personally should I run into him? I could call you up and you could hold a conversation with your idol." Alice offered.

"... WO-WOWIE… Y-YOU'D DO THAT…? OH B-BUT WHEN? A-AND HOW WILL I BE ABLE TO MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY BRACE MYSELF?" Papyrus, who sounded positively charmed by the idea, asked.

"Oh… well I suppose I can't really guarantee a time and place for this to happen but I'll make sure to definitely do my best to make this meeting possible." Alice concluded.

"THANK YOU ALICE. ANYWAYS, I HOPE YOU DO A GREAT JOB SURVIVING UNDYNE AND GET TO SEE METTATON!" Papyrus wished Alice good luck.

"Yeah. Good-bye. "Alice finished the phone call.

She definitely appreciated Papyrus's refreshing honesty and pure spirit in moments like this. She felt incredibly safe with Napstablook yes, but she couldn't shake the knowledge she was currently a target for the huntress. Talking with Papyrus and Napstablook about the Underground, seemingly trivial things, and in joyful spirits was one of the finest pleasures Alice could indulge in during this adventure. _Although,_ Alice thought, _I wonder how a robot can be considered 'sexy'. I suppose it's a 'see it to believe it' sort of case._ To Alice, the Underground had clearly different ideas from her own world so perhaps their sense of what was beautiful was different too. Even if a robot seemed very orthodox or at least unappealing to Alice, perhaps there was something about this Mettaton's design that got Papyrus to say that.

"alice... is something the matter?" A familiar voice got Alice out of her daydreams.

"Oh Napstablook! I-I'm sorry… I was having a phone call with one of my close friends. Sorry for not coming when you asked me too... " Alice apologized guiltily.

Napstablook was indeed floating besides Alice but fortunately Napstablook didn't look too disappointed in her and seemed very patient.

"it's fine… to be honest if i wasn't so used to the tradition of a snail farm… i'd probably hesitate before seeing what it was all about too…" Napstablook confessed shyly.

"I don't really think I would. I mean I come up with countless impossible or at least perplexing things in my head every day. Most of which reside in my Wonderland. So if I heard about a snail farm, the first thing I would do is learn more about it." Alice offered sweetly.

"that's... kind of a dangerous way to think but it also has a lot of merit too… a-and i appreciate how kind you are by wanting to see it so badly." Napstablook replied.

"...… Well then shall we see it." Alice felt slightly dejected but she had a feeling Napstablook spoke correctly about her curiousity being a bit dangerous at times.

Napstablook nodded and led her to something just as interesting as the last area. It looked like a race track had been set up with a classic checkerboard starting line and finish line. There were three snails of red, blue, and yellow shades and a picket fence blocking off the participants from the bystanders. Alice was instantly reminded of the Cacus Race activity that was rather popular in Wonderland. It involved running around bottom to the top, never a beginning and there could never be a stop, started it tomorrow and finished yesterday. Granted it was an exhausting activity designed to stay dry but for some odd reason it was usually held by a beach with waves constantly splashing the participants around and… _I shouldn't get sidetracked again,_ Alice thought as she realized she didn't want to leave Napstablook unattended again.

"Races? Is this the true purpose of raising the snails then?" Alice asked, impressed by the beautiful simplicity of the idea.

"yeah... it's a game called thundersnail. the snails will race, and if the yellow snail wins, you win. it's 10G to play…" Napstablook said.

"A pay to win game…? So it's much like gambling then… I don't think I'm old enough to gamble unfortunately but… I suppose my sister wouldn't scold me TOO harshly if it's such a small affair." Alice reasoned with herself but eventually accepted the offer.

"okay... press [Z] repeatedly to-"

"Z? What is 'Z'? Does it mean something?" Alice asked as she didn't recognize that symbol or that action at all.

"oh um... just basically encourage your snail. that will help get the snail moving." Napstablook clarified with a small blush of embarrassment for confusing Alice.

"Encourage? … I understand." Alice mumbled.

Alice was not exactly peppy as some girls her age, rather she was more demure, lady-like, and curious. So the idea of basically trying to uplift someone with enthusiasm and spirit seemed more suited to someone like Papyrus. Still, she decided to give it her best go. As the race begin, Alice went for what she considered a fine balance between cheering and silence. After all, cheering too much would be obnoxious and pressuring and cheering too little would be basically the same as not cheering at all. She kept at this almost uncharacteristic display for a while, though it seemed as though the yellow snail was trailing behind the red and blue snail quite a bit. Ultimately though, it actually managed to surpass the other two when it mattered most and the yellow snail achieved a stoic victory.

"Oh how wonderful! I'm so glad I was able to help it succeed." Alice clapped in a delightful way at the heartwarming scene.

"you won… congratulations. as a prize, you get 9G." Napstablook said as he seemed to magically hand Alice 9G to her hand.

"... Wait a moment… that's even less than what I initially paid for." Alice pointed out the contradiction in a more baffled way than upset.

"sorry... we have to make a profit somehow…"

"Hmm, I can see why you would resort to such measures seeing you are the only one left running the snail farm. Plus you are a good friend so I wish to forgive you." Alice spoke earnestly.

"thank you alice… that really means the world to me…" Napstablook said.

"Hmm… so how about we explore a bit together? For old time's sake?" Alice inquired cheerfully.

"oh sure… i mean i usually adventure only towards the ruins or more quiet, secret places but with you i could do anything…" Napstablook said.

"Then adventure we shall find!"

Namely the only things nearby to explore together were the leftmost path and the path next to Napstablook's house on the left of it. Alice and Napstablook went over to the leftmost path first. To her surprise… it led to a very familiar sight.

"Oh it's the little duck I saw earlier! This must be the same area only I'm on the other side!" Alice exclaimed cheerfully.

"this duck is pretty cute… i don't think it talks though…" Napstablook said.

"Yeah. In my world though, every animal was able to talk. Or at least I wanted it to be so. If I could only have heard my cat Dinah speak, it would've been a dream come true." Alice reminisced about her dear kitten.

"i hope it can still come true in some way…"

"Ehehe… I just wonder what she would say if she was here." Alice said bittersweetly.

She had already mourned enough for the fact the world she knew was gone and that she only had this world to stay in so she didn't feel too heartbroken about it anymore. Still it was incredibly important not to forget those she she left behind so she felt that bringing them up helped her remember. It also reminded her that in some shape or form they were still with her, guiding her, keeping her from losing her sanity. She wasn't sure why she was making the careless decision of talking about things that made her sad in front of her friend but perhaps it was the softness and eager smile of the duck that sparked her memories of Dinah. Napstablook didn't know what Dinah was like in the slightest but he sensed Alice hiding a lot of sadness as she pet the duck. So he offered in what was his best impression of a kind-hearted cat,

"... i really like being with you alice... "

Alice, surprised, stood up and look to Napstablook in surprise.

"I beg your pardon?" She asked.

"oh... i just thought that might've been something dinah would say to you…" Napstablook looked away shyly, wondering if that was a bit too much.

"... You know, I think you might just be right there." Alice said with a big smile.

After leaving the ducky, they investigated the path next to Napstablook's house, which led to what was perhaps the strangest example of architecture the Underground had displayed thus far to Alice. It was a igloo-shaped house that appeared to have as much complexity as a sculpture with visible eyes for windows, strange shutters that looked like spiky ears, an unusual rooftop that extended like a garland down into a ponytail, and a teeth-like door. There were also two rugs outside that had an image of a skeletal fish on it and another dummy that appeared to be living. Alice also observed half the house was cast in light and the other in shadow. _Like twilight_ … Alice thought. Looking slightly awkwardly over to her ghost friend, she inquired,

"Um… now who do you suppose lives here?"

"i'm not really sure… i just know they are kind of noisy…" Napstablook admitted.

"Ah. Well they certainly have a… daring sense of design. Who built these houses?"

"monsters migrating over and having learned from the humans… built these houses from scratch. it's actually quite a relief that we had that luxury…" Napstablook said.

"Fascinating. Well I suppose we better leave. I don't really think now's the right time to be knocking on a stranger's door." Alice said.

"... yeah."

Eventually the two friends found themselves standing in front of the crossroads again. Alice hated to admit it but she felt as though it was time to leave Napstablook again. It hurt her that she couldn't bring him along, but she knew that with Undyne on the loose it would only make involving him very risky. So she gathered as much courage as she could to break the news.

"N-Napstablook… this truly is a crushing decision I have to make on my part but… you see, since I am being hunted right now I just don't think it's safe to be around me. Plus my journey's not yet over and I want to learn more about the Underground. It was wonderful and truly a pleasure to reunite with you and get to learn more about you but I have to go now." She said humbly.

"... it's only natural… i mean… i completely understand alice… that sort of desire to learn is what got you here right…?" Napstablook seemed to be trying to be more confident in his words.

"Indeed. I… just want you to know that I must sincerely thank you again for giving me that determination to keep going. I wouldn't even be here if I hadn't had your friendship and trust in me." Alice said sweetly.

"you didn't treat me any less than how i thought of myself… that was such a new experience for me and i liked it… and what you've done is admirable. you're always welcome… and you're welcome to come back and visit…"

"... Y-yeah… I would love that… and I would also love to free you…" Alice couldn't stop herself from feeling extremely sentimental and tears started to emerge in her eyes.

Leaving Papyrus and Sans was also rather hard but because they were both brothers who had each other and that Napstablook was alone and the one to open her mind to the possibilities of this world made this departure so much more sad. She even felt slightly bitter that she couldn't bring him along but understood he also had a life of his own and that being hunted constantly would only implicate those around her. It took a lot of effort to pacify Toriel and Papyrus and there was no telling how much longer she could continue to pacify others. So this was the best and most hopeful choice Alice could make right now. _Yet it still hurts,_ Alice thought regrettably. _At least I can say though that my choices so far have been mostly the right ones and that Napstablook understands this._

"i know you can do it… and maybe then i could do something for you in repayment… like a concert or something." Napstablook offered.

He was smiling just as tenderly but with eyes just as watery as Alice's. He truly was a ghost who wore his heart on his wispy form.

"Ah… that would be lovely. Well then… good-bye Napstablook." Alice stated with as much optimism as she could and curtsied with as much refinement as ever.

Napstablook bowed in air and even shed a tear as the final words were said. Desiring to leave him a positive, hopeful, determined last impression before she left, Alice skipped away as cheerfully as she could. It even helped her feel better about her spirits though a tear or two still fell. She didn't look back, she couldn't look back, it was time to move forward. After all, she still had a duty to show mercy and to hopefully free the Underground. Napstablook watched her go with dripping tears but a happy smile. Alice had taught him a lot about himself and made him feel better about a number of things. He felt comforted, confident, and like he wasn't entirely worthless or alone anymore. He looked over to the path leading to his house and… his old neighbor's house. He wish the old neighbor was still there though Napstablook knew he had accomplished his dream and was living a cheerful life. _But at what cost…?_ He thought. Still it was clear dwelling on the negative would wear him down over time so Napstablook decided that perhaps it was time to reconsider how things went down and make something better come out of it.

"for alice…" He said out loud with a radiant expression that had not been worn on him in quite some time.

Alice continued down the path to find that there was an entrance to some sort of room on the left, a turn to a path on the right, and that the forward path she was on kept going. Furthermore there was another one of those nifty boxes lying on the ground outside the room. Alice decided that the thing that drew her curiousity most was the entrance to the room and so she went inside. Inside, it turned out that this room was a very special cavern den. There were gorgeous gemstones of pinks, purples, and blues on the wall and a very curious engraving that appeared to be carved on the wall. It looked like an angel, or perhaps a mountain with a bird flying over it, or any number of very ethereal looking imagery. There was also someone inside here…

"Woah there! I've got some neat junk for sale!" Said a charmingly old and jolly voice.

"Oh! W-why hello there sir… oh my goodness… you're a turtle!" Alice exclaimed with marvel.

Indeed it appeared to be an old turtle dressed in a very comfy and very active looking outfit similar to that of a soldier's uniform but khaki and with short sleeves and shorts. He also wore a cap that seemed durable and designed for exploring and carried with him a magnifying glass. He was green with one eye shut, the other having brown pupils, and had a long white beard and white eyebrows. There was something cordial and even uplifting about his appearance and presence that made Alice feel quite safe.

"Why yes I am dearie! I'm the oldest turtle you'll ever meet. Welcome to my store, how may I help you?" The turtle asked.

"Ah another store? These sure seem to be placed at convenient locations. Um, so could you open up about yourself? My name is Alice." Alice asked as she introduced herself with a curtsy.

"Well Alice, I've been around a long time. Maybe too long. Studying history sure is easy when you've lived through so much of it yourself! Wa ha ha!" He laughed.

"I would definitely support that perspective… although it appears I've skipped much of the history you are no doubt referring to… it's a long story." Alice blushed as she confessed her unfamiliarity with recent history.

"Really now? That's pretty particular wouldn't you say? You're almost suggesting that you traveled through time! That's pretty crazy!"

"To be fair, my imagination is certifiably crazy by my society's standards… or at least my sister always called it 'nonsense'. Either way, forgive me if I don't know about things around here as well as you. Maybe you can help me grow more acquainted by telling me about that symbol behind you?" Alice asked sweetly.

"That's the Delta Rune, the emblem of our kingdom. The Kingdom… of Monsters… Wahaha! Great name, huh? It's as I always say… Ol' King Fluffybuns can't name for beans!" The turtle teased.

"That's… definitely been proven over time to me. Although that nickname sounds rather silly… does he like being called that?" Alice asked feeling rather sorry for Asgore.

"OOH there's a great story behind that in fact! … I can't remember it. But if you come by later I'm sure I'll have remembered the story. Ah… it wouldn't be the same though if he was to ever step down as king or have proper naming skills."

"It's great to see you depend on him so loyally… hmm?" Alice was on her way to complementing the turtle when she suddenly noticed something about the Delta Rune that was unusual.

The symbol actually looked strangely familiar to Alice now that she got a clearer look at it. It was as if she had seen it before but just hadn't been able to fully describe it until now. _Wait a moment,_ Alice realized, _Toriel had this on her robes didn't she?_ Indeed on closer inspection, the Delta Rune was the exact same insignia she had saw on the goat mother's clothes. Yet that seemed contradictory as she had no business or trust in the King at all. Why would she be wearing the emblem of the Kingdom on her clothes?

"Sir… can you tell me more about this Delta Rune?" Alice asked feeling a little antsy.

"That emblem actually predates written history. The original meaning has been lost to time… All we know is that the triangles symbolize us monsters below, and the winged circle above symbolizes… Somethin' else." The turtle concluded his reply after a dramatic pause.

"Perhaps the concept of freedom? Like a heaven above the Underground?" Alice suggested philosophically.

"Well relating to heaven anyway, most people say it's the 'angel' from the prophecy…"

"Prophecy?" Alice asked with a sudden dread as prophecies in most fiction would always involve melodrama and incredible danger.

"Oh yeah… The prophecy. Legend has it, an 'angel' who has seen the surface will descend from above and bring us freedom. Lately, the people have been taking a bleaker outlook… Callin' that winged circle the 'Angel of Death.' A harbinger of destruction, waitin' to 'free' us from this mortal realm… In my opinion, when I see that little circle. I jus' think it looks neat! Wahaha!" The turtle tried to smooth over the clearly morbid subject matter with some humor.

As Alice expected, this prophecy brought about some form of a dismal future though it appeared to be brought upon by the growing negativity of the trapped monsters. In fact it was startlingly accurate after encountering Chara. It wanted nothing more than to cause pain and suffering to the Underground and seemingly came from the surface like Alice did. If it didn't fit the second interpretation of the prophecy by the monsters, what else would? Alice felt further relief at the knowledge she had prevented Chara from using her to possibly carry out this prophecy of doom and also wondered if the positive part of the prophecy referred to her. She was doing her best to find a solution to free the monsters though she would never be so bold to call herself an 'angel'. It also seemed that if Toriel was wearing the Delta Rune, with her loving and kind nature, she probably had believed in the positive side of the prophecy. That interpretation made a bit more sense as to why Toriel had been wearing the symbol herself. _Although I don't know why she would still be wearing something connected to a Kingdom ruled by someone she dislikes,_ Alice reminded herself.

"That's very interesting… monsters down here sure have a lot of abstract beliefs." Alice said as thoughtfully as she could.

"You betcha! Anything else you want to know Alice?" The turtle inquired.

"Can you tell me more about the King?"

"King Fluffybuns? He's a friendly, happy-go-lucky kind of guy… If you keep walking around long enough, you'll probably meet him. He loves to walk around and talk to people." The turtle stated.

"... Even though he's done some rather unfriendly things?" Alice couldn't help herself but point out the inconsistency in the turtle's description.

"... Hmm… well since then at least he's really mellowed down. Although I kind of have to agree with you there that he isn't perfect… but Dreemur's still a monarch we respect and admire. Plus he has a green thumb. Wahaha!" The turtle chuckled after leveling with Alice a respectable amount.

"I have heard about his skill with gardening. Now lastly, what can you tell me about Undyne?" Alice asked with a small giggle.

"Undyne? She's a local hero around here. Through grit and determination alone, she fought her way to the top of the Royal Guard. Actually, she just came through here asking about someone who just looked like you…"

"..." Alice gulped nervously as she awaited what else he had to say.

"I'd watch your back, Alice. And buy some items…It might just save your hide! Wa ha ha!" The turtle hollered.

"T-thank you... " Alice said awkwardly.

Granted what the turtle told her mirrored what Papyrus and Monster Kid had said about Undyne in a number of ways and at last she could effectively confirm they were absolutely right. Undyne was a persistent, determined, and very deadly leader of the Royal Guard and fighter. Alice knew she wouldn't last long if they were to ever combat one another face to face and that pacifying her was the only shot she had of surviving another encounter. She did feel a little disappointed she didn't get any more clues from the turtle that could help her figure out why Toriel had the Delta Rune on her clothes. It seemed a lot like a family crest and exclusive to those who were a part of the Kingdom so it just made a very curious mystery for Alice to solve. Lastly she felt some relief that this turtle was helping her and also sympathized with how Asgore had indeed done vicious deeds before. All in all, it had been a worthwhile visit and now it was time to go. Alice left as the turtle wished her to be careful and went down the other optional path besides the long forward path. To her surprise however, it was a dead end and seemed to lead to a river. Unlike the river in Snowdin Forest though, nothing else was around.

"Huh… seems odd to place another path here then." Alice said to herself and decided to head back and continue going forward.

The first thing she found was another sign, similar to the ones that had been chronicling the history of the Underground so far. Alice looked nervous as they had all been very sad and she suspected this one would be no different. 'Hurt, beaten, and fearful for our lives, we surrendered to the humans. Seven of their greatest magicians sealed us underground with a magic spell. Anything can enter through the seal, but only those with a powerful SOUL can leave.'

"Magicians? That doesn't make sense… humans don't naturally have magical powers… and how would they even specify how this barrier works?" Alice asked, legitimately stumped as to how this could work in real life.

If they had constructed a barrier physically that would make more sense though arguably would probably be destroyed by the monsters easily. Yet this text was claiming that the humans had at least seven magicians on their sides to construct a magical barrier that could effectively prove as physical and sturdy as a barrier made out of wood for instance. Alice had already discussed the differences between her world's magic and the Underground's magic with Chara before and it had merely said that it only mattered if you had DETERMINATION as that was what gave you the power to harness magic in either world. Yet it was still very odd to Alice how humans could unexpectedly develop magic in the first place and even figure out how DETERMINATION worked. The only reasonable theory Alice could make was that this was an alternate world she was in, especially given monsters seemingly had been around on earth for awhile. The humans were taught this power or possibly learned by observing this power being used by monsters and found out they were naturally stronger with it. Which lead to the war when tensions got high and the human's ultimate victory over the monsters.

"... I do wonder though why they lost patience with one another." Alice mumbled to herself as she noticed another sign up ahead.

'There is only one way to reverse this spell. If a huge power, equivalent to seven human SOULS, attacks the barrier… It will be destroyed.' That indeed sounded consistent with all that Alice had been told and learned about the situation though she was still hoping to find another way that didn't require her or another human life being taken. As she passed by several pretty echo flowers too far to reach and small waterfalls, she found one last sign. 'But this cursed place has no entrances or exits. There is no way a human could come here. We will remain trapped down here forever.' _It seems Mt. Ebbot has been hidden well,_ Alice thought remembering the precise way she entered the Underground. Alice did feel very sympathetic for these monsters though, being trapped indefinitely in a limited space was bound to affect your thought process negatively. Even if it did seem a bit melodramatic to think this way, it was just the feeling of the only possible option being a once in a lifetime chance to break the Barrier that made the situation seem so hopeless to the monsters. It did make Alice wish even more that she could see what the Barrier looked like right away so that she could perhaps finds some sort of weak spot or how it worked. As she was thinking about this though, something suddenly ran out in the middle of the path.

"Eh?!" Alice gasped as a small thing stopped right in front of her.

It looked like a very adorable yet somewhat bigger than average cat or dog with long black feminine hair, a blue shirt, a small doggy tail, and cat ears with dog ears on the side as well. It had an unusual yet somewhat whimsically happy expression and looked quite adorable. In fact, it seemed appropriately debatable whether it was cuter than the mysterious goat boy in her dream. It appeared to be a special enemy named Temmie that had appeared to defeat Alice. It loved to pet cute humans. But you're allergic! _Oh dear,_ Alice thought as she never liked being allergic to anything.

"awwAwa cute! (pets u)" The Temmie spoke in an extremely unusual yet animated way before one of it's paws stretched out to abnormal lengths to reach out towards Alice.

"Goodness…!" Alice gasped as she quickly sidestepped the initial paw and then maneuvered herself to avoid being touched until it retreated.

Temmie next attempted to glomp Alice but Alice was alert and quickly brainstormed ways on how to pacify this curious cutie. She started with a simple hello but quickly got back,

"hOI! i'm tEMMIE!"

Then Temmie proceeded to do something very alarming. It grew to a very tall, almost elephant size with impossibly long and thin legs and started walking over to Alice in an shockingly fast speed.

"W-wait! Ack-! Oof...!" Alice groaned as she was immediately trampled by the unusually tall Temmie and found herself lying flat on the ground.

Temmie returned to normal size but by now Alice was realizing she was dealing with a very out of the ordinary creature. Fortunately she discovered she could spare it right away and proceeded to do so with a huff. Temmie cheerfully yelped and ran away. _That was not as much fun as previous encounters,_ Alice grumbled to herself as she picked herself up and dusted herself. Entering the next area brightened Alice's spirits up significantly. She saw a beautiful dark and dense forest trail with luminous mushrooms like the ones she saw before but also trees that glowed like shining pillars. It reminded Alice a lot of Tulgey Wood and she even saw spots in the grass that glowed, providing a trail to follow. Though it seemed that the trail of grass stopped to a certain point.

"Hmm… what if I examine this mushroom?" Alice asked herself as she laid a gentle hand on the plant.

The mushroom felt just as hard as a regular mushroom but also surprisingly warm and sure enough, a new trail of grass suddenly lit up. Finding a great deal of glee in this method, Alice followed the trail of grass downward and quickly kept going from mushroom to mushroom. At one point though she found herself encountering two Moldsmal again but there was something unusual about one of them. Trying the similar method of appeasing Moldsmal, which was to flirt uncharacteristically triggered a shocking reaction out of the second one.

"Guoooh!" Groaned what appeared to be a new creature altogether.

That Moldsmal suddenly grew in height, layers of a gelatin-like body revealing themselves with a sunflower-esque shape to the head and an unnerving single eye. It had become a Moldbygg and seemed to need distance. Alice was slightly frightened by the shift in appearance and even in characteristics and quickly dodged a series of projectiles flung by both of them.

"I'm terribly sorry for not respecting your space initially, I'll leave you alone then." Alice said soothingly to Moldbygg.

It seemed to appreciate her respect of its boundaries. After dodging more projectiles, Alice successfully spared the duo. And carried on her way when she noticed something.

"Oh… there's a secret path leading down here… even in the darkness!" Alice exclaimed excitedly.

Naturally curious and not wanting to leave any part of the Underground unattended, she went down the dark path and found herself in a completely unique new area. The first thing that stood out was a very cheery atmosphere and that there were FOUR Temmies standing around in front of a strange painting that featured some draconic creature with a Temmie on it. There were also several signs scattered to and fro. _This certainly is bizarre,_ Alice thought to herself as this was the first time she saw a place that specifically consisted of one species of monsters. The little girl quickly rushed to the first sign to try to make some more sense of this unusual space. 'hOI! welcom to… TEM VILLAGE!'

"That's not how you spell 'welcome'... or 'hi'." Alice unconsciously corrected the sign's errors for herself.

"hOI! im temmie! and dis is my friend… temmie!"

"hOI! im temmie! and dis is my friend… temmie!"

"hOI! im temmie! don forget my friend!"

"Hi. I'm Bob." Four voices in quick succession rang out to greet Alice.

"Eep! O-oh… w-well um… hello there." Alice, who hadn't been paying attention, quickly turned around and addressed the four Temmies who had spoke to her..

 _They certainly are quite upfront with their introductions,_ Alice concluded.

"what's ur name?" Asked one of the four.

"Oh… my name is Alice. It's a pleasure to meet you…" Alice awkwardly curtsied as she introduced herself.

"hOI ALISE!" Said three of the Temmies.

"Hi Alice." Said the fourth and final Temmie.

"... Lovely." Alice frowned slightly at the fact some of them had said her name wrong and turned to look at the painting, hoping silently that the four Temmies would leave her alone.

As complex and surprisingly detailed the painting was, all she could make out of it was that is was a 'Rich history of Tem'. No major names, no major events, and not even a date were imprinted on the painting and left curious Alice feeling a bit disappointed. While she did have a lot of questions about this Temmie Village, it seemed the answers were intent on confusing her. The other two signs didn't help much either. 'hOI! u shud check out.. TEM SHOP!' and 'yaYA! i AGREES! shud check… TEM SHOP!' Alice at this point was feeling… something and it wasn't exactly a positive feeling. A strange detemmienation of sorts. She did notice some other interesting things though like another room entrance similar to the one the turtle was in with an exclamation point sign hanging above it. There were also several other Temmies, one of which was next to an egg, a well-crafted statue of a Temmie titled 'Tem', a mushroom that appeared to have a face, and a hole in the wall where a Temmie was very clearly looking out from within.

"Well isn't this certainly nonsensical… um, excuse me sir-" Alice walked up to the Temmie with the egg first only to be interrupted.

"tem... WATCH EGG! eg... wil HATCH! tem... PROUD PARENT!"

"But cats don't lay eggs! Where'd you even get it?" Alice asked.

"a STORK!" The Temmie gave a rather ridiculous answer.

"... Well I suppose it's the eagerness of raising a child that matters most…" Alice decided to give the Temmie the benefit of the doubt and walked past the hard-boiled egg.

She next approached the mushroom to find that it suddenly began to wiggle and move its arms rhythmically. A strange performance that the mushroom itself described as,

"Mushroom dance Mushroom dance Whatever could it mean"

"What exactly does it mean?" Alice asked as it stopped dancing.

To her surprise the mushroom looked up to her with somewhat narrow blue eyes and spoke in a somber yet intelligent tone,

"It symbolizes my inner torment, trapped here by my hyphae. My struggle to pull away. My struggle to escape. But alas, to no avail."

"Oh dear… I'm very sorry to hear about that but it was quite… refreshing to see." Alice offered some sort of compliment in an attempt to cheer it up.

The mushroom however didn't reply and resumed a neutral expression. _I wonder if eating him would give you any sort of powers like in Wonderland,_ Alice thought briefly as she talked to another Temmie. Or at least she approached it as she was quickly beginning to lose her desire to talk to these things.

"p... tem heard human allergics to tem… dat OK… tem understan… tem… ALSO allergic to tem!" Shouted this particular Temmie.

Four red and rather big bumps emerged on Temmie's face one after the other, signifying it had an allergic reaction to Alice's presence. Alice normally would've tried to console the creature but the simply off grammar and how ridiculous their behavior was to Alice seemed overdone and frustrating.

"Are you ok…?" Alice eventually mustered up enough common sense to ask it if it was alright.

"hOIVS!"

"I don't think there's a medicine for that but perhaps it'll go away in time." Alice said and then departed over to the left

She had no interest in questioning the Temmie currently hidden within the walls watching her and the 'very famus' statue of 'Tem' and thus she moved on to the final Temmie who was outside.

"awawawawah! humans... such a… CUTE!" He or she said.

"For heaven's sake at least TRY to use proper grammar." Alice complained in frustration.

"swrry... temmie are seekin colleg! CHANGE LIVEZ!" The Temmie replied.

"College? Oh so you are seeking a higher education. I suppose that's understandable. Forgive me for my rudeness then…" Alice apologized after realizing they also had a will to learn.

With one one last place to visit in this strange Temmie Village, Alice entered the Tem Shop. The first thing she noticed was that the Temmie storekeeper was wearing a blue and yellow striped shirt, similar to several other striped shirts she had seen thus far in the Underground. Then she noticed various different things hanging about like a bone, a stick, a vial of purple liquid, stockings, a trash can, and oddly enough a picture of the Annoying Dog. Granted it looked surprisingly cozy though not nearly neat enough to be a shop. _I suppose it's a matter of different tastes,_ Alice thought. Still she had a hunch that it was impossible to carry any sort of proper conversation with these Temmies...

"hOI! welcom to… da TEM SHOP!" The shopkeeper greeted her.

"H-hello… um just right off the tongue and while it's fresh in my mind, how much does it take to go to… 'colleg'?" Alice asked, attempting to mimic the Temmie's the best she could.

"1000 G."

"That much?! Goodness… then again in England, colleges are just as expensive to get into. In fact, college is expensive in general. Err… anyways, could… oh never mind. You'll probably only just say hi…" Alice grumbled as she figured that it wasn't worth trying to ask anything about them.

"y'kno, us tems have a DEEP HISTORY!" The shopkeeper attempted to capture Alice's interest.

"Really…? Like what…?" Alice asked with a small glimmer of hope.

"lik the foundin of TEM SHOP! yaYA! go to TEM SHOP!"

"... That's it. Goodbye. I can't afford to listen to any more nonsense like this… though I'll see what I can do about getting you into college." Alice groaned as she facepalmed deeply and made her stride.

"bOI!" The shopkeeper bid Alice farewell in a very excitable way.

 _Next time I think I'll just stay on the path,_ Alice told herself as she made a quick escape from Temmie Village.

To Be Continued...


	18. The One Who Wields The Spear Of Justice

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 17 The One Who Wields The Spear Of Justice

Alice, extremely relieved to be away from the Temmies, began to follow the path like it had originally been intended. _I can't believe that an entire race of monsters can out-nonsense the nonsense I imagined for Wonderland,_ she thought to herself. She was almost a bit envious that her own imagination out been basically outdone in whimsy and that the concept of 'everything is what it isn't' had been so frustrating to witness firsthand. It almost made her wish she was more careless with her thoughts so that she could maybe have appreciated the Temmies more than she had. As Alice carried on her way, she noticed that some of her encounters were becoming more diverse. She encountered a Woshua and an Aaron together, an unusual pair in her mind, and managed to deal with both effectively and gracefully. Eventually she stumbled upon the next area which was actually a little spooky. There were purple crystals, glowing and pulsating in a manner that seemed to imply great power. Given the natural darkness of the area and it gave an unsettling vibe to Alice as she noticed there were no more mushrooms. To her surprise, there was a sign to her left and she read it nimbly. 'Without candles or magic to guide them Home, the monsters used crystals to navigate.'

"Huh… I would've suspected these crystals to have been made by the monsters but apparently it's the other way around." Alice spoke to herself.

Wandering through the path, she spotted a lantern of a very tasteful design and turned it on. It seemed to ward off the crystals glow but kept the area illuminated consistently. The trailing path was extremely long and Alice found herself having to not only fend off monsters but keep the lanterns lit just long enough for her to see where she was going. She noticed one path seemed to lead to another area though to her regret, it appeared to be some sort of waterway like the junkyard was. She instantly grimaced at the idea of getting wet again but considered that she needed to keep going lest she be found by Undyne. So lifting her skirts, she paced through the water carefully, shivering slightly at the cold temperature of the water. Though something unusual began to happen, the entire area around her seemed to darken completely except for what she could make out right in front of her. It didn't seem natural to her at all and Alice stopped instantly and listened carefully.

"... Hello…?" She whispered meekly towards someone who may or may not have been there at all.

Alice was feeling paranoid and a bit angry that whatever was causing this didn't seem to care for her at all. It was making her feel upset and terrified. That's when she noticed an Echo Flower, among one of the first in quite awhile. She gleefully triggered it only to find perhaps the worst possible message at the time,

"Behind you."

It had been spoken so slowly as well that Alice couldn't consider it a joke. Her eyes widened as the area's lighting suddenly became crystal clear, revealing a patch of grass to her left. Alice willed herself to turn around and saw her. UNDYNE. Much like at the bridge, she had Alice cornered and walked forward with unforgiving steps. Alice was shaken and desperately looked around for some opportunity to escape but Undyne actually spoke to her for what was the first time,

"... Seven. Seven human souls. With the power of seven human souls, our king… King ASGORE Dreemurr… will become a god. With that power, ASGORE can finally shatter the barrier."

She sounded rather young compared to what Alice expected, but still certainly an adult female. She held a gruffness but also a dignity and pride to her voice and her words were just as severe as her identity. Alice held some relief though that she could potentially converse and plead with Undyne properly since Undyne was capable of conversation. Alice swallowed her nerves and straightened up.

"I understand a lot of the creation of that barrier and your sorrow at being trapped but… you can't seriously continue to murder humans because of it can you? You've slain six souls already and they meant absolutely no harm to any of you." Alice scolded.

"Humans like you trapped us down here. It's nice of us to stop ourselves from dancing on your graves! Not to mention you've taken away more than just our freedom from us… That is why this must be done! ASGORE will finally take the surface back from humanity… and give them back the suffering and pain that we have endured. I don't suppose you understand though, human. The way you're talking back to me." Undyne seemed to be condemning Alice.

"... I refuse to allow my soul to be used for revenge. Let alone involve myself with your revenge scheme. Besides, I intend to free the barrier my own way that doesn't involve any sort of death!"

"... So you're throwing away your chance at redemption then. Very well then, I'll tear out your soul from your body." Undyne assumed a fearsome stance like a lion bracing itself to a pounce after speaking.

Alice gulped as Undyne conjured another magical spear in her grasp and wondered if she was going to have to fight back. To her horror, Undyne dashed forward with incredible speed, too quick for Alice to have created a significant thought to counter it. Though to her surprise, Monster Kid popped out of the bushes and stood between Undyne gripping her spear and Alice who was looking at him with great confusion.

"Undyne! I'll help you fight!" He declared.

"... You must be joking…" Alice couldn't hide her displeasure at him throwing himself into a dangerous situation but also couldn't hide her amusement at him coming to her aid in such a fashion.

"YO! You did it! Undyne is RIGHT in front of you! You've got front row seats to her fight!" Monster Kid exclaimed as he looked between both women.

Undyne wasn't even flinching from her aggressive stance, staying motionless and quiet though Alice had to wonder what her expression was through the helmet.

"… wait… who's she fighting?" Monster Kid asked when he showed a lack of understanding about the situation.

"To be perfectly honest she was-" Alice however found herself interrupted by an unexpected twist.

Undyne made her spear vanish, stood up straight, and pinched Monster Kid by the ear. She then proceeding to stomp away, dragging him behind her.

"You're not gonna tell my parents about this are you…?" Monster Kid asked worried as he and Undyne disappeared into the darkness.

Alice found this to be very reminiscent of when her sister would sometimes drag her along when Alice lingered around too long. Yet she severely questioned Undyne's priorities. While Alice appreciated Undyne keeping Monster Kid out of this conflict, it was the umpteenth time that the Royal Guardswoman had spared her or at least passed on the chance to kill her directly. Perhaps it was just Undyne having a strange way of killing her targets but Alice had to find herself stunned that she got away cleanly again. Although she was hesitant about going back the way she came, she had no other option.

"... Curiouser and curiouser." She commented to herself regarding Undyne's mysterious behavior and went back into the water.

To her shock, she spotted a path that had opened up along where a wall used to be. It was lined with grass and on a solid ground. Now Alice was even more perplexed but knew it would be foolish not to take advantage of this opportunity. Continuing on her way, Alice spotted Echo Flowers up ahead. Silently hoping their messages wouldn't be as morbid as the last one, she quickly began to check them.

"...hmm… if I say my wish… You promise you won't laugh at me?"

"Of course I won't laugh!"

 _This is the conversation from way back then,_ Alice realized as the mentioning of a 'wish' brought a memory fresh to Alice's mind. Delighted to find out what the wish was, she continued to investigate.

"Someday, I'd like to climb this mountain we're all buried under. Standing under the sky, looking at the world all around… That's my wish."

"..." Alice didn't know what to say to that and shifted her feet awkwardly.

It still felt weird to accept she was under some fictional mountain called Mt. Ebott as opposed to a park in England. Then there was how the manner of the wish was so sweet and honest. Whoever said that, presuming they were still alive, had to accept their wish still hadn't come true. Surely the news of Alice's arrival had reached their ears and… might've wanted it more than ever to come true. Alice began to understand at last why all the monsters were going to such sheer lengths to go after her and simply try the solution they knew would work. The needs of many would always realistically outweigh the needs of one after all. So… even if it cost Alice her life... _No I mustn't think like that… that's the same as wanting to die,_ Alice shook her head furiously and gave herself some much-needed good advice. Another thing about all this was that every monster thus far had hit her repeatedly with this logic, and Alice just couldn't accept it. Even if it was a newborn who had made this wish, would they truly want their wish granted but corrupted by the fact that a human girl had to die for it to come true? In fact it was already corrupted with six slain souls, but if Alice could do something to change that… it would redeem that wish once and for all. Upon reflection, Alice decided this was the healthiest interpretation of that side of the argument. She took to the next flower only to be surprised by very abrupt laughter.

"... hey, you said you wouldn't laugh at it!"

"Sorry, it's just funny… That's my wish, too."

Five Echo Flowers altogether had told an exquisite and heartfelt conclusion to the story. Alice definitely wondered who the two speaking people were and what kind of relationship they had. They seemed completely understanding of one another and a ray of hope for the Underground. At least when it came to their levels of trustworthiness and morality. To her surprise though, Alice spotted another sign up ahead. 'However… There is a prophecy. The Angel. The One Who Has Seen The Surface… They will return. And the underground will go empty.' _That's the prophecy the turtle was talking about,_ Alice realized. Ever one to put a lot of thought into the information she received, Alice assumed a thinking position and started to theorize. The turtle had mentioned the monsters being split upon a positive interpretation of the Angel and a negative interpretation of the Angel. One theory being that either that this Angel would free the underground and the other theory being that they would leave no one left alive to fill it. Though Alice was interested by how it was phrased 'The One Who Has Seen The Surface'. Realistically, wouldn't that sound like this prophecy was describing a monster who had seen the surface as the Angel? They had to have known humans lived on the surface of this world and thus it seemed strange that for this prophecy it had 'The One Who Has Seen The Surface' as the title instead of 'The One Who Has Lived On The Surface'. ' _Seen' and 'lived' are two very different descriptions after all_ , Alice imagined. 'Seen' would mean that this prophecy is describing one of their own who has seen the surface in some shape or form while 'lived' seemed more appropriate to use if the Angel was a human.

"... I suppose maybe they thought a monster had escaped imprisonment on the surface. They predicted it would've developed the means to come down here and free the rest of it's kind. I mean it even seems like this prophecy was made before any of the previous six souls fell down here if they used a term like 'Seen' before 'Lived.'" Alice proposed to nobody but herself.

Considering her imaginative mind and desire to prove her intelligence, it was very common for her to talk to herself as if trying to reassure herself. It was becoming especially more common of a routine due to her lonely state of affairs. Still, by proposing this idea out loud, Alice felt it gave her a clearer picture of what she was trying to visualize and it made sense. After all, it seemed that the kingdom was united and friendly at first based on the stories she heard and the lore she read. Then when things went bad, they became more desperate and reliant on the killings of fallen humans and old prophecies took a new form with the Angel being seen as a human and a destroyer. It probably lost it's original meaning long ago, maybe once describing a monster who still remained on the surface as the Angel. Alice decided this was enough thinking for now as she already knew what it meant if the Angel was a human and carried on her way. To her somewhat nervous reaction, she found herself facing another bridge. It was much thinner than previous bridges in Waterfall, similar to the one that led to Snowdin but with no railings, straighter, and had a rock base to hold it up. Alice however did have bad experiences with bridges and decided the best thing to do was to hurry up. As she neared the other side though without any trouble, she heard a voice,

"Yo!"

Instinctively, and quite used to that greeting, Alice knew it was Monster Kid. She turned around and saw him on the bridge walking slowly towards her. It seemed unnatural but Alice knew she had nothing to be fearful of. Oddly enough, Undyne was nowhere in sight and she suddenly also realized that Undyne hadn't kept him out of danger if he was still around.

"Monster Kid! W-why didn't Undyne take you back? T-there's no reason for you to trouble yourself with me anymore. I think your field trip from your family has gone on too long." Alice couldn't help herself but scold him in sheer worry about his safety.

Monster Kid didn't say anything though and eventually was right in front of her before looking off towards the chasm below the bridge.

"Yo, I know I'm not supposed to be here, but… I wanna ask you something." Monster Kid spoke rather seriously and even a bit sadly.

"... I accept your question…" Alice said with a raised eyebrow and pursed lips.

"... Man, I've never had to ask anyone this before… Umm… Yo… You're human, right?"

"Oh. Well of course. I can assure you I'm no goddess and am just a little human girl." Alice seemed relieved at the simple question and giggled to herself as she answered.

"Haha! I knew it! … well, I know it now, I mean… Undyne told me, "stay away from that human." Monster Kid's tone seemed very insecure.

Alice looked cross, not at Monster Kid at all but at Undyne's ruthless yet non-ruthless tactics. Going back to earlier, Undyne could've killed her and finished her off much more quickly had Monster Kid not arrived that time and even further back on the bridge prior to ending up in the garbage dump. But yet she was now resorting to trying to turn Alice's friends against her which seemed cruel and rather idiotic in her opinion. Furthermore the fact Undyne was involving Monster Kid into this whole conundrum was unforgivable. He was a young monster and practically like a little brother in maturity and innocence. Why should he have to be involved in this wild and barbaric goose chase?

"I think that's entirely wrong of her to say. Anyone is welcome to be friends with one another. Be it a wolf and a sheep, or a mouse and an elephant, or a rabbit and a fox, OR a monster and a human. Furthermore, I mean absolutely no harm… but I wish she had taken you out of harm's way since it seems she's going after me no matter what." Alice explained herself.

"... W-we don't have to be enemies? That's good… I kinda stink at that… but… I know she doesn't trust you a-and… I don't want to let her down… can you at least pretend to hate me or say something so we can be enemies…? Please….?" Monster Kid sounded fairly desperate.

"... Well I am upset you haven't returned home yet. Don't you know it's rude to stay much past your curfew?" Alice winked at Monster Kid as she said this as she perfectly understood his situation.

In Wonderland, she often had to play along with certain things that were absurd or were very questionable but would result in severe punishment if they were questioned. So if Monster Kid had to live up to a higher power's expectations, Alice was perfectly willing to aid in that.

"Y-yeah… I'm such a turd… though I had a lot of fun on my adventures here… and seeing Undyne was everything… I'm gonna go home now…" Monster Kid chuckled and looked to make a hasty exit.

However, Alice suddenly saw Monster Kid stumble and lose his balance and then… topple over the side of the bridge, clinging onto the edge with dear life as he fell over. He was in a very precarious situation. Alice gasped and quickly began to make her way over as Monster Kid shouted,

"Yo, w-w-wait! Help! I tripped!"

"I-I'm hurrying as fast as I can!" Alice pleaded as she decided only a channeling of DETERMINATION could resolve this.

Golden light once again appeared and metamorphosed into the most valuable and effective tool Alice could recall seeing in Wonderland, a stepladder. On one side, the stepladder was held by another figure of Alice's DETERMINATION, the one who Alice remembered seeing have this stepladder. Bill the Lizard. A character who had Alice's utmost sympathy after he was blasted up, up and away after a crazy and incidental fiasco at the White Rabbit's house. Adorned in pants, shirt, jacket, and a hat, all in a fine shade of gold, he held the stepladder for Alice as she quickly climbed onto the side facing Monster Kid and climbed down to his level. Alice hadn't really climbed ladders for a living but her sister had taught her the proper technique in case of an emergency in their lessons together and so she was easily able to do so. Right next to Monster Kid, she grabbed him while still holding onto the ladder, and carried him with her as she climbed back up. Then Bill helped her get back onto the bridge and thus Alice had efficiently and mystically saved Monster Kid.

"My that was a close one!" Alice sighed and put a hand over her heart as Bill did a sending-off motion and disappeared along with the ladder.

"T-thanks so much Alice… oh…" Monster Kid looked enthusiastic until he noticed somebody who had appeared without Alice or him noticing.

It was Undyne, clutching one of her magical spears but in a stance that showed hesitation. It seemed as though she had took notice of Alice's DETERMINATION and looked intimidated but also drew her spear at the ready in case she was to misuse it. Alice was instantly scared and ashamed of herself for not noticing though also thought this showed that Undyne did care for Monster Kid enough to be there in case things went wrong. Granted it was only a small step towards redemption in Alice's eyes but Alice was unsure of what to say to the soldier in this situation. Her mind had no ideas as it had been all spent on crafting a solution to save Monster Kid. So it was up to Monster Kid to speak for Alice,

"Y…y… yo… dude… If… If y-you wanna hurt my friend… You're gonna have to get through me, first."

"Monster Kid…" Alice looked at Monster Kid as though he was a royal knight.

He was speaking his mind and his voice was strong and spoke of justice. It was very selfless… if very risky to his bond and relationship with Undyne. However, it showed he considered his relationship with Alice just as if not more important and he didn't want Undyne to hurt her. Alice had a hunch Undyne wouldn't hurt Monster Kid though and to prove her point, Undyne made her spear disappeared and took several steps backward. Then, the Royal Guardswoman left the way she had presumably came.

"She's gone… Yo, you really saved my skin. There's no way we're going to be enemies again. We'll just have to be friends instead." Monster Kid said after turning to Alice, smiling with great relief.

"And you saved mine… I certainly would enjoy being your friend." Alice spoke and curtsied as professionally as she could to demonstrate her sheer appreciation for the deed Monster Kid had done for her.

"... man, I should REALLY go home… I bet my parents are worried sick about me!" Monster Kid exclaimed.

"... I-I agree… they would definitely be worried sick… you shouldn't make them worry any longer. Or you might be grounded."

Alice realized that Monster Kid's words and concerns applied to her perfectly. At this moment her sister and Dinah must've been absolutely worried for her and where she had gone. And even worse, if what all she had discovered was true, she was far into the future. They could possibly not even be around anymore… so she had left them behind worried sick and worried sick up until their deaths. She really was grounded… grounded to knowing that fact and at the same time being hunted for her life. Alice didn't want to make Monster Kid fear for her though and Alice was hoping there would be something down here that could help her return home, so Alice tried to hide her sudden sadness with a mixed smile. Monster Kid, to her relief, began to walk away. He stopped though and turned to Alice.

"Later Alice!"

"Farewell…" Alice waved good-bye as Monster Kid dashed away.

Alice sighed to herself as she knew that this probably wouldn't keep Undyne down for long but she was relieved Monster Kid had finally gotten his way out of this whole mess. This meant that Alice's only choice left was to continue to go forward… and probably encounter Undyne once again. She was still shaken about being reminded of the fears and concerns she left her loved ones with but knew that nothing was set in stone about fixing that. So she crossed the rest of the bridge and went into the next area. It seemed to be the remains of the caverns and there wasn't much to be noticed… except an exterior that led to outside the caverns. Upon reaching it, Alice found that she was at the base of a relatively huge mountain. There was another, extremely tall and menacing cavern entrance but there was also something else. Alice noticed, beyond the increased windiness, that a shadow was eclipsing over her and that meant something was above her. Alice looked up and that's when her suspicions were confirmed. Undyne was standing at the very top of the mountain, standing out amongst a very curious backdrop. It had a gorgeous red and purple sky, like that of dusk, with the shadows of strange buildings towering in the distance. Undyne however was clearly the center of attention, her back turned to Alice.

"Undyne…" Alice said mostly to herself as though to brace herself for any spears and get mentally ready.

"Seven. Seven human souls, and KING ASGORE will become a god. Six. That's how many we collected thus far." Undyne turned to face Alice as she seemingly repeated what she had said not too long before.

"Scavenged" is the more appropriate word thank you very much." Alice talked back to Undyne with her arms folded, miffed at how Undyne was not only repeating what she had said earlier but also that she was making it sound so simple.

"If that's how you want it to be, once we've scavenged your seventh and final soul, this world will be transformed." Undyne replied with surprisingly less temper that Alice expected.

"Transformed…? But aren't you just trying to break the barrier?" Alice asked, puzzled by Undyne's usage of that word.

"It'll be a transformation for the monsters born down here who've never even seen the surface… and the monsters who had to suffer down here when their lives were transformed for the worse. At last it'll be a transformation for the better. First, however, as is customary for those who make it this far… I shall tell you the tragic tale of our people. It all started long ago..." Undyne spoke with passion after a brief pause.

 _I already heard this before as well,_ Alice thought impatiently but also hoping that she wouldn't have to feel depressed again. However, something very unexpected happened. Undyne stopped speaking and seemed to look away. Then she clenched her fists and sharply turned to look down at Alice. When she spoke again, her voice seemed to change entirely and with no warning,

"No, you know what? SCREW IT! WHY SHOULD I TELL THAT STORY TO AN UNGRATEFUL, OBNOXIOUS LITTLE BRAT WHO'S ABOUT TO DIE?! NGAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Her voice had lost some of it's dignity and instead sounded very rash and spirited, like a young female coach of some sports team as opposed to a female knight. It even showed in her newly… questionable choice of words and furious tone. The winds seemed to gather though at her command, blowing quite fiercely and Alice was forced to avert her eyes. When she looked up after the winds died down, Alice noticed that Undyne's helmet had vanished. There was a blue head with a fiery red ponytail blowing in the wind and fish ears that seemed just like the ones that the house she and Napstablook had seen contained. Her back was turned to Alice… until she turned just enough so that Alice could see a narrowed golden eye that glinted dangerously with fury. Undyne then turned around entirely and Alice finally got a look at her true features. Sharp teeth, sharp eyes, sharp eyebrows, and an eyepatch adorned on her right eye. This was definitely an intimidating woman and right now, Alice knew exactly what she wanted. Though she had to admit she was very surprised at this sudden change in Undyne's character. _I bet this is why Monster Kid is so fond of her,_ Alice thought as she did see some mirrored characteristics with him in her words just now. Unfortunately for Alice, Undyne wasn't finished going off on the little girl.

"YOU! You're standing in the way of everybody's hopes and dreams! Alphys's history books made me think humans were cool… with their giant robots and flowery swordswomen. BUT YOU? You're just a coward! Hiding behind that kid so you could run away from me again!" Undyne shouted and pointed an accusing finger at Alice.

"... W-what…? We don't have giant robots whatsoever… though we did have a Joan of Arc for swordswomen I suppose… and Monster Kid was the one who stood up for me! I wasn't hiding behind him." Alice retaliated as best she could given how shocked she was at all the new information.

It seemed that Alphys was acquainted with Undyne as well and that she had history books that apparently were horribly inaccurate. It was like the monsters had been educated badly about humans and thought absurd things about them. Such a concept of humans having giant robots seemed extremely offensive to Alice's pride as she felt that she and other humans would loathe being misrepresented like this. _I'm going to have a firm word with Alphys once I see her about this,_ Alice told herself. Otherwise, Undyne did seem justifiably skeptical of Alice's connections with Monster Kid so Alice sought to defend herself as soon as she could.

"You deceived him with your wimpy goody-two-shoes schtick! Ooooh! I'm making such a random a difference by hugging random strangers! This is soooo curious. I'm just a curious little girl…! BAH!" Undyne mocked Alice with a surprisingly hilarious expression despite the severity of the message.

"W-well when you… snrk… put it like that I suppose I was behaving strangely." Alice resisted the urge to laugh as she did consider that she was interacting with strangers thus far in ways her sister would've definitely questioned.

"You know what would be more valuable to everyone than being interrogated by you? IF YOU WERE DEAD! That's right, human! Your continued existence is a crime! Your life is all that stands between us and our freedom!" Undyne once again condemned Alice.

Alice found herself quite infuriated by that statement. It was being constantly told to her that she should die to free everyone ever since leaving the ruins. At this rate she would go insane or be forced to agree with them and so she decided to make her most powerful rejection yet,

"Is it a crime to fight for my OWN survival? To also want to be free from the Underground?! I have been pressured and pressured to give my life up for your cause but yet you have taken six other innocent lives without remorse and I have no doubts in my mind you didn't try to persuade them as much as you have towards me. In fact I could accuse all of you of committing first-degree murder upon six innocent children but I have more of a grasp on the situation that I can at least understand that you are acting out of desperation! How then, have none of you considered there to be another possible way to break the barrier? In fact, why haven't you even TRIED to figure out another way that didn't involve someone losing their lives?! Because of your recklessness you have already tarnished your reputation and at this point are making the humans look like the more sensible species. You have a chance to change that and that chance is what I'm urging you to pursue instead of me!"

"...! Y-you… you have no right to talk as though you've experienced what we have! Your hopes and dreams are NOTHING compared to the hopes and dreams of all the monsters whose hearts are pounding at this very moment! They've waited all their lives for this and yet you want to make them feel guilty and terrible for doing so. You also are insistent on defying us no matter what but we're not nervous about whatever it is you might try to do. When everyone puts their hearts together, they can't lose! We'll break the barrier the way that everyone wants and knows will work! There's no way we're going to torture ourselves by listening to some infuriating child who is involved with our imprisonment. We aren't going to suffer another century, another millennium, another year, not even another day until we can finally step foot on the surface again! Now, human! Let's end this, right here, right now. I'll show you how determined monsters can be! Step forward when you're ready! Fuhuhu!" Undyne reacted boldly but with a voice that almost suggested she was of a higher power.

It was clear that she was the epitome of the underground's psyche, the same passion that the monsters shared to be free and not wanting to suffer another day to do it. Alice respected her point of view and also respected that they had been down here in agony for an extremely long time. Their patience probably had run out a long time ago and they wanted freedom now. After all, trying to find another way would cause more delay and if anything, might prove to have been fruitless all along. However, Alice believed that nothing was impossible, especially given she was able to imagine her own Wonderland and her desires to have a world of her own manifested into this incredible adventure. She didn't want to see any of these sympathetic, sweet, and interesting monsters taint their innocence and dreams with any more blood on their hands. She also desperately and genuinely wanted to survive and see more of the Underground for those who trusted her with the future. With that, Alice felt a passion and a sheer fire in her that was akin to the same kind of DETERMINATION she had when breaking free from Chara and it's hold on her. She was prepared to face Undyne and use Toriel's advice as always to show how mercy could open up the way to the truth and bring peace to the underground. The wind was howling loudly and Alice's hair and skirt blowed in the breeze, Alice was filled with DETERMINATION and so she stepped forward.

"I believe I shall show you then how determined humans can be… to keep surviving!" Alice announced with an unconditional confidence.

"That's it, then…!" Undyne licked her lips with an eager delight.

She summoned her spear and twirled it around effortlessly like a baton before bracing herself and leaping off the mountain stoically. She clutched onto the spear and propelled it down towards Alice, her first move already been made.

"No more running away! HERE I COME!" Undyne howled as she fell at a rapid rate.

"...!" Alice quickly sidestepped the furious attack and Undyne crashed into the ground where Alice had been.

The impact was so strong that it created smoke and vibrations that made Alice stumble slightly though she regained balance immediately and distanced herself from Undyne. Undyne emerged from the smoke unscathed and wielding her spear. Up close, Alice could see she did have rather feminine features and her presence, while much more furious than she had been with her helmet on, still commanded great respect from those who faced her. As Alice looked at Undyne, she realized she wasn't sure where to go from here. Unlike Papyrus or Toriel, she didn't have any real destination or goal beyond the vague notion of surviving. _Maybe I need to get to wherever that cavern leads_ , Alice thought. While she was thinking though, Undyne waved her spear at Alice and while it didn't propel anything at her, Alice suddenly noticed that a green aura had developed over her body. It was just like the 'BLUE' attack that Papyrus had used on her that had caused her to lose badly to him in their encounter. This one was 'GREEN' however and Alice didn't feel like she was heavy… but then she suddenly found out something worse. When she tried to move backward, she hit an invisible wall and was stopped in place. Alice turned around and found out indeed there was a wall in front of her. Spreading out her hands and arms to examine her surroundings helped her realize that she had been completely surrounded in some sort of invisible barrier that limited the amount of space she could cross.

"En guarde!" Undyne gave what seemed to be her final causal words before the battle truly began.

Alice tried to push this invisible wall but it was of no use. It seemed Undyne had done something to trap Alice in an area where she couldn't be as evasive as she had been previously. It was troublesome, worrying, and slightly crippled Alice's confidence. This would mean she would have to face the spears head-on and there would be no way for her to escape. She looked at Undyne, the heroine that NEVER gives up, and asked,

"This is one of those colored attacks isn't it? What did you do?"

"Guess you do know about us a bit better than I gave you credit for... As long as you're GREEN you CAN'T ESCAPE! Unless you learn to face danger head-on… You won't last a SECOND against ME!" Undyne replied, flashing a menacing smile, and then began her assault.

She hurled three spears in quick succession at Alice. Despite Alice's limited maneuverability, she did have enough movement to adjust her positioning. She remembered how effective the card soldiers had been earlier at deflecting and protecting Alice from Undyne's attacks and so she mustered her DETERMINATION to summon a 7 of Hearts to deflect the three spears with it's lance. Undyne gave a surprised glance at this quick reaction from Alice.

"Not bad! Then how about THIS!?" Undyne shouted as she hurled two more spears towards Alice.

Alice however noticed four more spears had appeared in addition to the two coming forward, with two from the left and two from the right. They were approaching at different speeds as well with the forward ones being the fastest, the left ones being the second fastest, and the right ones being the slowest. _She's attempting to create mind games with how she throws her spears,_ Alice realized. However this wasn't going to be enough to dissuade Alice and she summoned two more card soldiers, the 2 of Diamonds and the 4 of Spades to cover her from the left and right as 7 of Hearts continued to deflect the spears from the front. As easy it would be to aggress on Undyne like this, Alice naturally refused to harm her.

"For years, we've dreamed of a happy ending…" Undyne sighed as she pounded the ground thinking of her friends.

Another barrage of spears this time had one spear coming from the back. Alice summoned one last card soldier, the 10 of Clubs, to protect her from the back. Although they were now all effectively covering each of Alice's side, Alice knew she had to keep them focused with her DETERMINATION to block the spears at the right time and the right angle or else the spears would pierce through them and hit Alice. Alice continued to listen to Undyne's words with careful consideration.

"And now sunlight is just within our reach! I won't let you snatch it away from us!" Undyne cried as she bounced impatiently.

"I haven't snatched anything away from you Undyne! If anything it's fate that has kept the sunlight away from you. You can't simply use me as a scapegoat for your troubles." Alice commented as she continued to have the DETERMINATION constructs block the spears.

"Can it! Scapegoat or not it's just how things are and it was your kind that got us into this mess in the first place. Consider it retribution! NGAHHH! Enough warming up!" Undyne growled as a strange sushi aroma filled the air.

The spears were being hurled with great accuracy and great speed, with Alice barely able to block them all. Then suddenly, Undyne waved her spear again and Alice found that the green aura surrounding her vanished. Alice was confused as to why Undyne enabled her to move freely again until she heard the sound of a spear piercing through the 2 of Diamonds. The spear then hit Alice head-on, piercing through her before vanishing. It didn't leave a single wound but the impact of the spears edge definitely hurt Alice and caused her to give a small shriek of pain. Undyne smirked unpleasantly at her successful strike.

"Mercy, HA! I can't believe YOU want to spare ME! Especially when you've been unable to land a single blow on anyone so far!" Undyne taunted Alice who was clutching her side.

"I… I don't need to strike blows on anyone! In fact I'd much rather- eep!" Alice found that her chance at speaking back was cut short.

Undyne started leaping to and fro, left and right, and up and down, and hurled various spears at Alice from all different angles. Alice fortunately found that she wasn't confined to a single space anymore and so she was able to run, twirl, and dash about to avoid some of these spears. She also sent forth the 4 of Spades and 10 of Clubs to dash forth and parry some of the spears Undyne's hurled while the 7 of Hearts helped to cover Alice. For some reason this whole fight was a lot more favorable for Alice than the Papyrus fight had been despite the severity of Undyne's attacks. Maybe because since Papyrus lacked Undyne's discipline, he was reliant on using a powerful colored attack whereas Undyne knew how to think ahead of her opponent and mix up her tactics.

"But even if I spared YOU…" Undyne said calmly.

Alice suddenly noticed blue lights appearing beneath her feet, much like Undyne's original attack patterns had been back in the chases of Waterfall. She was able to dodge them easily but realized she also had to direct her card soldiers to avoid them as well. Compared to other characters in Wonderland, the card soldiers were extremely dependent on orders so they had to be directed properly compared to how characters like Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum could act on their own. Alice was able to do this efficiently but then found Undyne waved her spear again, casting the 'GREEN' attack upon Alice again.

"No human has EVER made it past ASGORE!" Undyne declared.

"I imagine so, seeing how he seems much more willing to simply finish off a human rather than toy with them and try to tarnish their reputation!" Alice responded with some criticism of Undyne as she found herself having to use her Card Soldiers to deflect the spears again.

"Excuse me?!" Undyne asked incredulous as she flipped her spear impatiently.

"What you tried to do to Monster Kid, to change his opinion of me was uncalled for! If you were really certain of me being the key to freeing the Underground, you would've simply ripped my SOUL out of me like you claimed earlier. Yet on the bridge before then, when I was cornered, you hesitated to land the fatal attack and claim my SOUL. You simply let me fall, not even bothering to come after me to pick up my SOUL had I died. Perhaps there's more mercy in you than you think Undyne."

"Grrr… STOP being so damn resilient! And stop talking back to me brat!" Undyne shouted as her spears were practically flying faster than bullets.

Alice was still able to deflect them effectively despite all this and noticed Undyne once again dispelled the 'GREEN' attack while hurling another deceptive spear. More prepared for it this time, Alice had all three remaining card soldiers parry it with their lances combined. Alice was then surprised to see Undyne supplex a huge boulder, perhaps as some way of venting her frustrations towards Alice, or maybe just because she could.

"My name is Alice!" Alice decided to clarify her identity towards Undyne as she was getting tired of the insults and vulgar language Undyne was using.

"Like I care! Geez, what the hell are humans made of!? Anyone else would be DEAD by now!" Undyne growled in disbelief as she went into her emerging spears attack.

"A great deal of things! Look Undyne, I've heard a lot of wonderful things about you and I sense that you're an admirable, powerful female warrior. It's incredibly inspiring, but I cannot condone you trying to kill me. All I want is for us to be friends…" Alice tried to plead with Undyne as she once again dodged that phase of attacks.

"...Alphys told me humans were determined… I see now what she meant by that!" Undyne frowned, it seemed she had been reminded of someone and her attacks became less extreme afterward.

Throughout this whole battle, Alice found herself shifting from being 'GREEN' and free to move constantly and was beginning to realize that this strategy was extremely brutal on the defender. While the card soldiers were proving effective, Alice was starting to wear herself out on both dodging and controlling them. Suddenly she noticed a strange backwards spear that was heading towards her. It zigged quite suddenly and suddenly flipped forward on a totally different angle and got past Alice's defenses, striking her.

"Uahhhh…!" Alice screamed and fell to her knees clutching her side.

"That's right… I'm determined too… and I'm determined to finish this right NOW! ...RIGHT NOW…! …. RIGHT….. NOW…!" Undyne found herself repeating her declaration of the final blow as Alice was proving to be very difficult to bring down.

"... Doesn't look… so finished… huff…" Alice pointed out as she was really running out of stamina at this moment.

Even Undyne looked tired, having flung countless spears and yet only managing to have hit Alice twice so far. Alice was exhausted though and the frequency of spears was still very quick and relentless, there would be no way for her to last past ten more rounds of attacks. Alice realized there was no way to pacify Undyne in the slightest so that left only one thing left for the little girl to do. _I have to get out of here right now,_ Alice thought! Looking at her options, the 7 of Hearts, 4 of Spades, and 10 of Clubs, she quickly formulated a plan. It was a brief plan but it was Alice's only shot of getting enough distance away from Undyne.

"NGAHHH! DIE ALREADY YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Undyne howled as she pointed her finger heroically to the sky.

She sent forth her most vicious assault yet, one of the zig-zag spears hit Alice once more, but then Undyne waved her spear to free Alice. This was what Alice had been hoping for. Alice sent forth her three Card Soldiers to charge straight at Undyne, their lances armed as she made a break for the cavern. Undyne looked flabbergasted at this sudden change in her target's movements, and knew that she had to block the Card Soldiers first before going after Alice.

"H-hey!" Undyne growled rather weakly as she quickly twirled her spear and slashed at the three Card Soldiers.

To her even further astonishment though, the card soldiers dissolved into a flurry of simple playing cards upon impact, all made out of DETERMINATION. They didn't hurt and had the same feeling of cards, but swirled around Undyne and obscured her vision as Alice gained greater distance and managed to flee into the cavern. Undyne was absolutely furious and began to swap and slash the cards swirling around her like a pack of bees, desperate not to let Alice get away. Meanwhile, Alice found herself running in a panic through the new cavern. It was surprisingly luminous and Alice could see a river flowing down below with a block of ice bobbing to and fro. _Amazing how Snowdin's rivers extend all the way down here,_ Alice thought but then had to stop. She was so worn out from dodging the spears that she felt like she couldn't keep going without having to pause and catch her breath in between. That was when Alice noticed a golden radiance appear beside her.

"E-eh…? Oh Bill…!" Alice exclaimed when she saw that Bill the Lizard had once again materialized but this time not by her own will.

He was standing there with his stepladder and had a supportive smile. Though his very presence and appearance was very unusual to Alice. She had not thought of him but yet here he was. Could it be some sort of instinct that Alice's DETERMINATION was developing to help her, or maybe it was some lingering feelings of saving Monster Kid that led it to manifesting to save her? No matter what the answer was, Alice realized Bill was offering to carry her and run for her as long as she got on and held onto the stepladder. Agreeing with that plan, Alice climbed onto the ladder and made sure she was high enough that she wouldn't obstruct his vision but also low enough as to not increase the weight he was carrying. Bill picked up the ladder with impressive strength and soon began dashing forward, Alice holding onto it as she found herself on a makeshift ride of sorts. Their speed seemed decently fast but unfortunately Alice looked behind her and saw Undyne quickly catching up. She looked very pissed at the distraction Alice made earlier and wasn't going to let the little girl get away.

"You seriously think I'm going to let a PACK OF CARDS stop me?! STOP RUNNING AWAY!" Undyne screamed.

Alice was nervous as she wasn't sure what would happen if Undyne did catch up to her and Bill but Bill seemed to have a plan. As soon as they found themselves turning to the right, and Undyne was nearly right behind them, Bill stopped in place. Then he swung the ladder with incredible strength, Alice clutching tightly to not be flung off, and slammed it into Undyne and sending her flying backwards.

"What the he- GRAHHHH!" Undyne shrieked as she was caught off-guard by the sneak attack and sent crashing to the ground a ways back.

"Whoaaa… w-warn me next time please…" A suddenly dizzy Alice muttered as she had barely been able to hold onto the ladder as it had been swung so dynamically.

Although being swung like that alerted her to something very unusual placed along the left wall. It was a giant and very long sign outlined with green and with unusual-looking red letters sliding from right to left amongst a black background, spelling out a message before disappearing and reappearing. It said 'WELCOME TO HOTLAND!' _Another new location,_ Alice thought excitedly, _splendid!_ It was at that moment though, Bill taking off again, that Alice got an unexpected phone call. Alice was perplexed at the idea of getting a phone call at a time like this and trying to hold onto the ladder as best she could, quickly grabbed her phone and answered it,

"H-hello…?"

"HEY! WHAT'S UP ALICE!? I WAS JUST THINKING! YOU, ME, AND UNDYNE SHOULD ALL HANG OUT SOMETIME! I THINK YOU WOULD MAKE GREAT PALS! LET'S MEET UP AT HER HOUSE LATER!" Papyrus seemed to have just come up with this idea and expressed it jubilantly to Alice.

"H-her house…? I'm really unsure- hello?" Alice suddenly heard the other line click off and realized her answer would go unheard.

Admittedly that had been very reassuring to hear Papyrus calling and caring for Alice like that yet his proposition would definitely be tabled for now. Bill managed to get Alice out of the caverns and set down the stepladder gently so that Alice could climb down. As Alice climbed down, she suddenly noticed a number of amazingly curious things in her new surroundings. One, there was a harsh, bold lighting as if it was a sunny day. Two, the ground seemed to be sandy and with rugged rocky cliffs. Three, there was another wooden bridge over what appeared to be genuine lava. Fourth…

"SANS?! W-what are you doing here…?!" Alice exclaimed in complete disbelief as she set her feet on the ground.

Indeed he was there at another one of his sentry stations, snow still on top of the roof, sleeping. Fast asleep. Even though Alice had just called his name he didn't wake up. Also another thing Alice noticed was that it was suddenly quite hot out, as though a heat wave had just hit the Underground. Alice recalled the cape that Sans had given her back in Snowdin Forest and realized she would most likely not need it anymore. So she took it and placed it on the counter, returning the favor at long last. Bill and his ladder disappeared with the same cheerful send-off as Alice felt she could make the rest of the trip on her own but at that moment, Undyne emerged out of the caverns and hurled a spear at Alice.

"Eep!" She gasped as she barely ducked the spear just in time and was forced to abandon the still napping Sans.

Alice began to make her way across the bridge though looked back to see Undyne a bit annoyed at San's napping habits as well. _It seems like she knows Sans as well,_ Alice thought. The little girl reached the other end of the bridge, still tired from the whole ordeal and baffled by the heat and the fact that there had been pure lava below the bridge. She then noticed that there was a strange machine standing over by a wall of black earth that was filled with what appeared to be water. There were two levers, one marked red and the other blue and some sort of tube containing a bunch of plastic cups. _It must be like a fountain of sorts,_ Alice decided. Alice was about to investigate the machine when she heard Undyne speaking behind her,

"Armor… so… hot… But I can't… Give up…"

She sounded extremely sluggish and it was clear by her slow steps forward that the heat was getting to her. She reached out towards Alice who flinched in fear, before suddenly flopping down to the ground unconscious and her tongue sticking out. She looked dry and like she had overheated. Alice knew she couldn't simply just leave Undyne lying out in the heat in such a vulnerable state. Papyrus would've been extremely worried had he known about this after all. So Alice dashed to the machine and examined the levers closely. The colors seemed to indicate what water temperature each lever would dispense and thus Alice figured out that the blue lever would release cool water. So she grabbed a cup and placed it under the lever and activated it, sending a stream of water into the cup as long as she held it down. _What a convenient device! I imagine it'd be very useful for tea parties,_ Alice thought gleefully. She then raced to Undyne and poured it gently on top of her to hydrate the Guardswoman. Undyne stirred and stirred until she finally got back onto her own two feet and looked around dazed. She then faced Alice with a look that was neither bitter nor thankful, rather it was just shaken. Perhaps it had been the fact she knew she couldn't continue chasing Alice in this 'HOTLAND' without sustaining harm to herself and thus had to surrender for now. Alice wisely said nothing as she didn't think she needed to anyway. Without a word, Undyne simply turned around and walked away back towards Waterfall. The huntress had ended her hunt and Waterfall was finally all said and done with.

"... Finally the chase has ceased… and now… I'm in HOTLAND." Alice sighed to herself as she turned to look around at this new land, this new stage in her adventures underground.

To Be Continued...


	19. Almost Alphys

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 18 Almost Alphys

"... Hah…" Alice wiped her mouth with her apron after drinking her second glass of cold water.

She felt relieved, she felt excited, but she also felt rather exhausted from the the climactic conclusion of the chase. There had been a number of close calls after all and the heat of this HOTLAND wasn't helping too much. Nonetheless, Alice was thankful for being allowed to have her peace of mind and not feel as though she was going to be chased again. Sitting down, she looked over and noticed that Sans was no longer at his sentry post, presumably having left during the time she was resting or helping Undyne. It appeared he worked as a sentry here too, which wasn't all that far-fetched given his teleportation capabilities. Still, Alice couldn't shake the feeling something fishy was going on with all this. Sans always appeared to be at the right place at the right time, always there when Alice was about to show up. _What kind of powers does he possess? Does he have some sort of sense on where I am at in the Underground? Or is it simply a coincidence?_ Alice inquired to herself. Either way, her curiousity was more important to her at the moment and now that she had the freedom to explore to her heart's content again, she was only thrilled to do so.

"I suppose I- gasp!" Alice was about to narrate her next action but was interrupted when she spotted something standing around that wasn't there before.

If Alice had to be as specific as she could, she would've described the figure as a strange, lean blue body with extremely long arms that were folded and a strange head. It seemed to appear to be like a clamshell as though there would be some sort of an opening within the head that would unveil something else. It looked strange and creepy but Alice decided she could do far worse in a world of her own.

"Who are you…?" She asked the figure.

"O, k, k, k, k, k… I was thirsty, so I came over from Waterfall to get a drink!" The figure said in a voice that sounded smooth and like some sort of jazz musician.

His face also appeared to blossom like a flower, revealing a round head with sunglasses, a grin, and a green crown of sorts. Alice was slightly impressed although…

"I thought Waterfall had plenty of water. I'm sure there's a place to get a fresh drink from there wouldn't you say?" She asked, raising her pointer finger up.

"Uhhhhhhhhh… well it's hard to tell if the water is fresh there since it pours, it's in the river, and there are puddles… at least the water cooler can help make the temperature j, u, u, u, st right…" He replied.

"That's true… very well then. Goodbye." Alice curtsied quickly and then decided to proceed into Hotland.

To her amazement, she saw several things of great notice. There were three paths, one to the left, one to the right, and the other that led straight to one of the most curious buildings Alice had ever seen. First it was quite large, possibly rivaling some of the rooms in the Ruins, and it a strange door that seemed to hold no handle, screws on the side, two unusual metal things that looked like railings above the door, and a sign below that which read 'LAB'. Furthermore, there were two monsters suited in armor that appeared to stand in the way of the left path. One appeared to have floppy ears and a more shield-like helmet while the other had ears that looked like bat wings along with horns and a more jagged helmet. They were both tall and appeared to have a lot of muscle on them. While the armor did look very much like the armor Undyne had been wearing, Alice felt these two would be a little bit more level-headed than the fiery fighter had been. Not to mention neither of them seemed to react to Alice's appearance. She approached them and asked,

"Are you two associated with the Royal Guard?"

"Yeah, in fact we're two of her best ones… um… sorry… UNDYNE, like, told us there was totally a human in the area. So, like, us Royal Guards are blocking off the elevators right now. Ngah! Even if the elevators aren't working anyway, we'll do our best, Ms. UNDYNE!" The floppy eared Guard spoke in a somewhat goofy but also pleasant to hear tone.

"Elevators…? Hmm… is the Hotlands made up of elevators then?" Alice asked.

"Well not exactly… it's a lot of undeveloped ground but what has been developed is really high-tech stuff. Kind of hurts my head… and our goal is to stand guard over this area since Undyne can't really handle the heat well."

"I uh… well I find it very hot myself… so I think I can relate to that..." Alice had to stop herself from giving away that she was the exact human Undyne had mentioned to them, or else risk them possibly attacking her.

 _How careless of me,_ she thought as she blushed slightly. The other Guard seemed to be completely silent and hadn't said anything at all. It made Alice a little nervous that he was onto her.

"Excuse me, what do you know about Hotland?" She asked him.

"..." There was no reply, much less movement.

"You must know something, or are you trying to play some sort of joke on me?"

"..."

"At least say something productive like 'Hello' or-" Alice's beginnings of a tirade was abruptly interrupted by the floppy eared guard who stood in a surprisingly protective position in front of the silent guard.

"C-calm down ma'am! There's no reason to antagonize him ok?!" He spoke extremely passionately.

"I'm terribly sorry sir… I just haven't really met someone before who was so muted when somebody was speaking to them." Alice apologized humbly but made sure to back away slightly as she was intimidated by the floppy-eared guards sudden fury.

"He's just quiet… but he's really a smart guy… and we have amazing teamwork together!"

"..." The other guard didn't seem to think much of this however.

"Oh I see. Well then, I'll just be on my way." Alice curtsied quickly again and awkwardly ended the conversation as she didn't want to tempt anymore unexpected reactions.

 _Those two might face me later on if they realize I'm the human Undyne was talking about,_ Alice considered, _I shouldn't lower my guard._ Still, she had to admit that it was odd that the sharper guard hadn't said a word, even when he was being defended by his partner. Was it some sort of shyness like Napstablook had? Or was he mute? It just seemed baffling to her that Undyne would hire such a guard to watch over an area like this. Even stranger to have him partnered up with someone so vocal and strong-willed when he could be. As Alice decided to check the other path before going to the LAB, she found herself climbing down a small flight of stairs and found a curious sight. She appeared to be at some sort of dock and by this dock was a long, elegant gondola. On this gondola however was a strange, hooded and robed figure with an unclear identity. It was a bit unnerving to see someone like this, someone Alice couldn't approach with confidence or an idea in mind of what to say. Surprisingly, the figure spoke first in a voice that seemed entirely different and deeper from what Alice had heard thus far in the Underground,

"Tra la la. I am the riverman. Or am I the riverwoman…? It doesn't really matter. I love to ride in my boat. Would you care to join me?"

"... N-no thank you… um…" Alice was finding great difficulty in deciding what to refer this person by.

"Then perhaps another time. Or perhaps not. It doesn't really matter." They said somewhat passively.

Alice was feeling very insecure all of a sudden. It was as if she was suddenly having difficulties speaking to people clearly and getting an understanding of them. Her chances to prove herself as a person were dwindling and the last time she recalled something like this happening was in her daydreams. Once the conversation in Wonderland started getting away from her, it made everything so much more of a hassle and made Alice want to go home badly. Something told her though if that happened here, the consequences would be much more severe. _I really hope I can meet someone I can open up to in the Hotlands,_ she thought nervously. Alice decided to bid farewell to the river person and climbed up the stairs, lifting her skirts gracefully to do so. Back at the crossroads, she knew that only the LAB remained and that she had to see what was inside. She had her hunches of what awaited her inside but you could never really count your chickens before they hatched. Seeing such a strange laboratory in a place like this… filled her with determination. As she approached the lab, the doors suddenly mysteriously opened, sliding inward and opening the entrance for Alice.

"...! D-does this mean whoever's inside can operate the door at will…?" Alice asked herself flabbergasted.

Normally Alice would've been a little flattered but after everything she had been through it was a little bit troubling. It was like the poem of the Spider and the Fly, someone inviting Alice into their parlor to do something malevolent in the end. Thouh if Alice's suspicions were correct, this lab belonged to the Royal Scientist Alphys. After all, Undyne, Papyrus, and Sans all spoke of her and what she could create so such a lab only seemed fitting for this 'Alphys' to use and reside in. The real question was though, what was Alphys like and what would her intentions be with Alice?

"Well I have nothing to lose and all to gain so… let's investigate shall we?" Alice encouraged herself with a thoughtful statement and entered the Lab.

The lab itself appeared to be a little dimly lit, as if someone had turned off the lights but for some odd reason, Alice appeared to be under a directed light. A sort of spotlight similar to what Undyne had casted over her earlier when she had found the Echo Flower. With this light, Alice could make out a mint green wall, a pastel blue and yellow checkered floor, and then a big room with a number of different and strange objects scattered about. First, Alice noticed an extremely unusual flight of stairs where the steps seemed to be in constant motion. They sunk into the ground at the very bottom before re-emerging at the very top. _I've never seen such a device before_ … Alice thought with wonder. Next she noticed an incredibly big T.V with an unusual shape and what appeared to be a small keyboard and controls on it. On second thought, it was very possible for it to be a computer but it seemed to be projecting an image at the moment much like a T.V. It appeared to be of Alice herself and she could see her baffled expression on the very screen itself.

"What on earth…? Is this some sort of recording device…?" She asked, gasping and putting a hand to her mouth.

The Alice on the monitor had mimicked the very same action so it was clear this computer was tracking and showing Alice's actions to whoever was watching it. Alice also realized this was the first time she had saw herself without the use of mirror in quite awhile. She looked surprisingly well put-together though her hair did seem slightly frazzled and her ribbon was slightly crooked. Alice quickly groomed herself to the best of her abilities and looked satisfied with the results once she saw herself on the screen again. Continuing her investigation of the lab, Alice found a relatively big desk that was stacked with countless papers in a rather messy fashion. There was a normal-sized computer and monitor with what appeared to be notes taped delicately onto it and a trash can to the left of it. _Makes sense for a scientist to have such a tool,_ Alice figured in her head, _and I suppose it also makes sense for them to try an organized chaos management style._ Lastly, Alice spotted a refrigerator and a strange purple bag. As she approached the right side of the room though, she suddenly heard a noise. It was coming from an area that wasn't illuminated by the spotlight so Alice couldn't see a thing. Then she heard what she suspected was some sort of switch and suddenly she could see everything. There, standing in the middle of the room, was a remarkable monster. It appeared to be some sort of dinosaur or lizard-based monster with three horns, a somewhat beautiful golden skin tone, glasses, a long white lab coat, and a somewhat sweet expression. She hadn't yet noticed Alice and appeared to be stretching slightly. This left Alice free to remark,

"Eh…? A dinosaur…? O-or perhaps a lizard…? Excuse me… who exactly are you?"

The monster suddenly looked delightfully puzzled by Alice's voice and turned to look at Alice. Their eyes went wide and they put their hands on their ears as though in complete disbelief.

"Oh. My god. I didn't expect you to show up so soon! I haven't showered, I'm barely dressed, it's all messy, and…" Speaking in a very dorky, gentle yet anxious voice, the monster shuffled about from where they stood as though trying to find an exit.

From the tone of voice it was clear this monster was a female. Alice was now 90% sure this was Alphys but she decided it would be more appropriate to get confirmation from the monster herself. She felt a little bad for startling the monster like this as they looked very flighty and unprepared. Speaking up gently, Alice said,

"I'm terribly sorry for barging in here and leaving you unprepared. The door appeared to open as soon as I approached the lab so I thought you had welcomed me inside. May I have your name?"

"O-oh… that's just the automatic door… it opens when it… uh… senses someone approaching the door. U-u-usually, cause otherwise I can keep it locked but I was expecting some company and well… anyways. H-h-hiya! I'm Dr. Alphys. I'm ASGORE's royal scientist." The monster replied a bit shyly.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Dr. Alphys, my name is Alice. I heard a lot about your extraordinary capabilities from my friends." Alice complimented Alphys in an attempt to help the scientist feel more at ease while she curtsied gracefully.

"T-thank you… and it w-was really great to see all that… I have really amazing friends. B-b-but, ahhhh, I'm not one of the "bad guys"! Actually, since you stepped out of the RUINS, I've, um… been "observing" your journey through my console." Alphys then suddenly dropped a bombshell that made the entire atmosphere feel tense.

"... I-I beg your pardon Alphys but did you just admit you've been spying on me…?" Alice choked out the question after a great pause.

There were a number of thoughts that came to mind. One, she must've seen how the Papyrus encounter had gone which meant she might've found out about Chara. Two, she also must've been keeping track of all her movements which she could then easily pass on to anyone she wanted. Three, that was an extreme invasion of privacy, seeing everything Alice was doing like it was a television show. Alice started feeling quite upset and aggravated and it seemed as though Alphys could tell. The scientist crouched and turned slightly away, as though hiding from Alice's wrath.

"I-it wasn't for any malign or disturbing intent… If anything I was hoping to learn from you… I saw your fights… your friendships… everything! I was originally going to stop you, but…" Alphys began but then left an awkward pause.

"You got afraid. You must've seen how the Papyrus encounter went and suspected me…" Alice finished Alphys's sentence for her in a cold tone.

Alphys looked to Alice with an even greater fear, but Alice couldn't tell if it was because of what she said or how she said it. Granted Alice wasn't even in her right mind when she had confronted Papyrus with the Vorpal Blade but if any viewer had seen that without all the information, then there would be a natural reason to be suspicious of Alice from then on. Even forgiving Papyrus afterward and becoming friends wouldn't shake off somebody's initial impression on Alice from what they were given. But what if Alphys had blabbed about that to the others? Like Undyne? It would not only ruin any chances of Alice trying to befriend monsters from an area she'd never been to but also make her seem untrustworthy overall. That sort of result felt extremely unfair and it made Alice quickly grow suspicious of Alphys.

"... I-I-I… ahh, I did see what happened… but it seemed as though y-y-you were being possessed or under some sort of spell… a-and you broke free from it… plus Papyrus accepted you no matter what and you didn't betray him. I was rooting for you the whole time to do the right and thing and am still rooting for you." Alphys tried to ease the tension with a rather desperate statement but it was clear by her tone it was honest.

"... Did you speak of this to anyone…?" Alice asked, softening her expression.

She considered that Chara had never been spoken by name during that whole encounter so even if Alphys suspected something about Alice, Chara's identity was still a mystery. Alice still believed if Chara was known about by the Underground, it would possibly cause a negative domino effect of mistrust or fear. Also, if Alphys had a monitor, it was probable she wouldn't have gotten it through any of the buildings so the time Alice spent inside a building like Grillby's was a mystery to Alphys. A camera couldn't follow somebody inside the building, much less a populated one without being noticed. _She would have only gotten accurate outside footage on me if what she said is true_ , Alice decided. It also seemed like the most likely one to be affected by such information, Undyne, hadn't mentioned the whole Chara-possessed encounter at all when pursuing Alice. Thus it seemed Alphys did keep this information to herself but Alice still wanted to know.

"Absolutely not… I don't really go out of this lab much to be honest… I'm sorry if I did stumble upon something you didn't want anyone else to know…" Alphys apologized sincerely.

"Well… I suppose if you didn't mean to see that scene it's quite alright. I'm just a bit sensitive about that whole event because I certainly wasn't in my right mind at that place in time. Um… why exactly ARE you observing me though?" Alice asked as she put her hands on her hips.

"W-well you are the first human down here in a long time and… I got a bit curious… S-so, ahhh, now I want to help you! Using my knowledge. I can easily guide you through Hotland! I know a way right to ASGORE's castle, no problem!" Alphys spoke a bit more confidently after gaining Alice's forgiveness.

"Oh, that'd be quite useful actually. I've seen it from far away but I can't imagine what the actual route towards the castle is." Alice confessed, clasping her hands together.

"... Well, actually, umm, there's just a tiny issue. A long time ago, I made a robot named Mettaton. Originally, I built him to be an entertainment robot-"

"Papyrus told me about that…! He also described him as a 'sexy rectangle'... um… so is that a sort of speciality in your designs?" Alice inquired suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed realizing that she was in front of the designer of that description.

"... O-o-oh… goodness… that was um… w-well… really it was meant to be an appealing design to a widespread audience… I may have gotten a 'smidge' carried away…" Alphys answered with the biggest blush Alice had seen since San's mysterious blue blush.

"Ehehehe… I suppose that does happen with the best of us. But what exactly is the issue with Mettaton then?" Alice asked after laughing a bit.

"Well he was meant to be a robotic T.V star or something. Anyway, recently I decided to make him more useful. You know, some small practical adjustments. Like um… Anti… anti-human combat features?" Alphys's blush faded only to be replaced with slight guilt as she explained.

"... That's hardly useful Alphys! I thought you were going to say something like 'Anti-barrier features'! Besides, why would you even build something… oh…" Alice was about to go off but then remembered Alphys HAD seen that encounter with Papyrus.

"I mean… j-j-just in case something was to go wrong with a human and they would go rogue…Of c-course, when I saw you coming, I immediately decided… I have to remove those features! Unfortunately, I may have made a teensy mistake while doing so. And, um… Now he's an unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for human blood?" Alphys nervously stated.

"You turned him on? Why would you do something so foolish if you knew I was trustworthy and on my way?!" Alice asked angrily.

From what Alphys described, she had only begun to make changes to Mettaton regarding the anti-human features once Alice had pacified Papyrus or some other point around that time. Yet it seemed she had activated Mettaton's anti-human features as soon as Alice neared the lab or maybe as soon as Alice faced off against Undyne. This not only seemed to totally contradict her previous words about not being one of the "bad guys" and rooting for Alice, but it made it look like Alphys was intentionally trying to kill Alice or lure her into a trap. It was definitely fishy and it infuriated Alice that she was dealing with a sketchy scientist who clearly was making decisions that went against what she claimed to be standing for. _Instead of trying to find another solution towards the Barrier problem which she could do best in her position as Royal Scientist she's going for the solution that causes more pain,_ Alice decided angrily. Alphys seemed very aware of Alice's emotions as she once again looked guilty and cowered before the little girl.

"I-i-it was a sincere accident…! Usually I'm much more careful b-but lately I've been really clumsy… ehehehehe… Heh. B-but I did see you have a lot of DETERMINATION in you in the feeds… I really do think that you can fare well against him if you encounter him like this… b-besides maybe we won't run into him!" Alphys tried to diffuse the situation albeit with a weaker argument.

Alice took a deep breath and decided to try a more logical argument,

"... Yes I do have determination but it would be nice not to have to be forced to use it every new area I enter. Furthermore, it's clear you are being very suspicious, saying you are rooting for me but then trying to target me with a robot you just happened to build anti-human features that would only help you break the barrier by using my soul instead of researching another solution that involves no deaths. Do you really think of me as some sort of chess piece that you can play around with? Your friends seem to trust you a lot but so far you haven't given me the same luxury to trust you that they seem to have been given."

"... I-I'm… I see… I understand your point and it's true that what I did wasn't very honest… but I really do want to help you anyway I can and-"

However a very abrupt clanging sound from somewhere outside the lab, or possibly within the lab, and the room shaking interrupted Alphys' defense. Alice also seemed bewildered and looked around confused.

"What was that…?" She asked, slowly walking towards Alphys.

"...?" Alphys looked as though she had noticed it but wasn't sure if it had really happened.

The noise and shaking repeated once more, louder and more violently this time.

"Did you hear something?" The Royal Scientist asked.

"Why yes I did. I was hoping you would know what it was." Alice said with a frown.

Suddenly it happened five more times, with each one being increasingly louder and violent. In fact the third, fourth, and fifth ones lifted Alice and Alphys off their feet briefly. Alphys looked scared and as though she finally figured out what that sound was.

"Oh no." Alphys muttered as the room was suddenly eclipsed by a bright light and then darkness.

"OHHHH YES! WELCOME, BEAUTIES..." Shouted a new, very distorted and even mechanically sounding voice.

"... Beauties?" Alice asked nervously just as a spotlight suddenly appeared and seemed to direct the attention of the room towards the wall.

There, standing in front of a newly formed hole in the wall, was one of the more peculiar things Alice had seen in the Underground yet. It looked like a medium-sized T.V with a yellow screen full of black squares, knobs and dials on it's body, long metallic and striped arms with white gloves over its hands and appeared to be balanced on a firm pole with a wheel on the end. Alice's first reaction was slight confusion at how it was able to break through a solid wall without a visible tool on hand. Then she suddenly realized that this was a functioning robot that was standing in front of her and that it had spoken in a very upbeat, melodramatic tone like it was announcing something. This could only mean one thing… this was METTATON. _I can definitely see the rectangle aspect,_ Alice pondered as she stared in wonder and horror at the machine, _sexy… not so much._

"...TO TODAY'S QUIZ SHOW!" It continued with exuberance.

At that moment, a lot of things happened at once. A giant sign dropped down from the ceiling with 'GAME SHOW' in red and pink letters. A rainbow of different lights flashed around Alice and Alphys with matching confetti plummeting down as well as two colorful chandeliers shaped like spheres that were also rainbow colored and twirling about. It was surreal… and a bit silly.

"OH BOY! I CAN ALREADY TELL IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT SHOW! EVERYONE GIVE A BIG HAND FOR OUR WONDERFUL CONTESTANT!" Mettaton exclaimed joyfully and then clapped for Alice.

"Hold on a moment… I never signed up for a game show. Besides, I thought you were a superstar, not a host." Alice complained as she had to fend off some falling confetti from getting stuck in her hair.

"SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEVER PLAYED BEFORE EITHER, GORGEOUS. NO PROBLEM! IT'S SIMPLE! THERE'S ONLY ONE RULE. ANSWER CORRECTLY… OR YOU DIE!" Mettaton's screen flashed a bold red as a strange sort of encounter began.

Mettaton was indeed attacking her, while Alphys was off to the side, eyeing the whole thing with confusion. Alice was unsure of what strategy he would employ through this 'game show' but all the while she couldn't believe how spontaneous he could be. Also on how rehearsed it was, like she was being presented on live television. Somehow Alice doubted Alphys was involved in this particular instance though she knew for certain Alphys was involved in getting Mettaton to go after her in the first place. She was hoping for the Royal Scientist to redeem herself in some fashion though she wasn't quite sure how. Alice observed Mettaton and noted that his metal body renders him invulnerable to attack. _Not that I would attack him anyway,_ Alice thought, _I am curious as to why Napstablook wasn't fond of him._

"LET'S START WITH AN EASY ONE!" Mettaton announced.

"...Very well then, I do like a mental challenge once in awhile." Alice responded confidently as she knew there was no way around this.

'What's the prize for answering correctly? A. Money B. Mercy C. New Car D. More questions.' Alice suspected this question was all too easy on the surface, as Mettaton had just said something that would instantly lead her to choose B. But what if it was something else and B was a mere decoy answer? That's when Alice noticed Alphys was making a shape with her hands. Namely a 'D'. Oh! _She's giving me the answer without Mettaton noticing!_ Alice realized as Mettaton was most certainly eyeing only Alice at the moment. She definitely was touched and appreciated such a clever move on Alphys's part and knew that this would help make things go alot smoother in dealing with Mettaton.

"D's the answer isn't it?" Alice proposed.

"RIGHT! SOUNDS LIKE YOU GET IT!" Mettaton cheered as confetti came down.

Alphys gave a thumbs up to Alice for listening to her advice and getting the correct answer. Alice thought that Alphys's actions did prove she genuinely wanted to help Alice and it eased some of her initial suspicions of her. The quiz continued…

"HERE'S YOUR TERRIFIC PRIZE!"

'What's the king's full name? A. Lord Fluffybuns B. Fuzzy Pushover C. Asgore Dreemurr. D. Dr. Friendship.' Alice smiled brightly, not even needing Alphys's sign language to aid her in answering this.

"Oh that's easy. C! Thanks to Monster Kid." Alice answered the question much faster than the previous one as the answer stood out like a painted rose.

"CORRECT! WHAT A TERRIFIC ANSWER! ENOUGH ABOUT YOU. LET'S TALK ABOUT ME!"

'What are robots made of? A. Hopes&Dreams B. Metal&Magic C. Snips&Snails D. Sugar&Spice.' Alphys quickly signed 'B' as the correct answer much to Alice's relief as while she had a hunch it was that choice, she was afraid of this being a trick question.

"B." Alice replied.

"TOO EASY FOR YOU. HUH? HERE'S ANOTHER EASY ONE FOR YOU." Mettaton continued to host.

Unfortunately the next question was of a ridiculously long length and seemed to involve complicated math and trains arriving at a specified time but at different speeds. Alice quickly deduced that for some of these more complex and difficult questions, trusting Alphys with her sign language would be much easier and beneficial to her. So when the monster mimed D which was '32,058 minutes', the little girl parroted it easily,

"D."

"WONDERFUL! I'M ASTOUNDED FOLKS!"

"Excuse me Mettaton but how long until this game show is over? Don't you have another program coming soon or something along those lines?" Alice inquired as she was worried about this becoming tedious for her and Alphys.

"DON'T COUNT ON YOUR FREEDOM OR YOUR VICTORY JUST YET!" Mettaton retorted with surprising aggression.

'How many flies are in this jar? A. 54 B. 53 C. 55 D. 52.' A jar of said flies seemed to magically appear as part of Mettaton's question and the flies flew about in a swarm. On one's own, it'd be near impossible to determine how many exact flies were flying about in the jar due to them being so small and easy to blend in with one another. Alphys appeared to believe 'A' was the answer and so once again Alice trusted the Royal Scientist's judgement,

"Is it A perhaps?"

"CORRECT! YOU'RE SO LUCKY TODAY! LET'S PLAY A MEMORY GAME." Mettaton seemed relentless on the questioning and it was starting to annoy Alice.

'What monster is this? A. Froggit B. Whimsun C. Moldsmal D. Mettaton.' The picture definitely appeared to be the head of a Froggit like the ones in the Ruins so Alice figured she knew the answer. However she noticed Alphys was mimicking the letter 'D' with her hands, suggesting that this question's answer was really Mettaton. Alice looked incredulously at Alphys though as it didn't seem accurate to the image at all. _Although he does definitely seem like the type to resort to underhanded manuevers,_ Alice considered. It was common sense that a murderer would resort to any angle to take down their victim and even more logical considering the desperation displayed thus far in monsters like Undyne and Mad Dummy in trying to defeat Alice. Not to mention Alphys had been completely on point thus far with her answers so she was right now showing a lot more trustworthiness than she had been a few minutes ago.

"I believe that image is of you Mettaton. D." Alice replied.

"I'M SO FLATTERED YOU REMEMBERED!" Mettaton cheered with zeal as the image in question zoomed out to show Mettaton wearing a black T-shirt with the image of Froggit on it.

"Isn't that against the rules to give me an incomplete representation of the image for my question?" Alice pestered Mettaton right after realizing he had fully intended to deceive her.

"YOU STILL GOT IT SWEETHEART, DON'T SEE WHY YOU SHOULD BE COMPLAINING. BUT CAN YOU GET THIS ONE?" Mettaton seemed to challenge Alice head-on.

'Would you smooch a ghost? A. Heck Yeah B. Heck Yeah C. Heck Yeah D. Heck Yeah.'

"... Wait… WHAT?!" Alice did a double take as she not only noticed the answers were all the same but also that the question was completely absurd.

 _Smooch a ghost?! What kind of nonsense concept is that?! I mean my sister would never approve of such a crazy action and… B-besides Napstablook is my friend… and I highly doubt I would be able to kiss him to begin with. This question is just plain silly… I would never force something like that upon my friend._ Alice's head went on a perplexed and highly flustered tangent as she blushed a decent amount from the sheer implications of the question. Looking to Alphys, she was relieved to know that Alphys also was not finding the question amusing. She had an expression that could best be summarized as 'Are you kidding me?' The question still needed to be answered in spite of it's credibility and content and so Alice gave her final answer which had a 100% rate of success.

"I suppose I'll go for A in this case… after my name." Alice grimaced at Mettaton.

"GREAT ANSWER! I LOVE IT!"

"They were all the same answer you crazy computer! A-and how could you even ask such a silly question?!" Alice stomped her foot.

"I BELIEVE OUR STUDIO AUDIENCE WOULDN'T FIND IT SILLY. ALSO YOU SEEM QUITE FLUSTERED. DOES OUR PLAYER NEED A GLASS OF WATER?" Mettaton seemed to be teasing Alice who was indeed still blushing a bit furiously.

"Not at all… and mind your own business please..." Alice grumbled, folding her arms and turning away with her eyes closed.

"HERE'S A SIMPLE ONE…" Mettaton spoke again.

'How many letters in the name Mettaton?' However, Alice noticed that a series of 'n's appeared right after Mettaton, extending the word to absurd lengths. Even the answer choices, which consisted of numbers, rapidly changed as though it was a slot machine of sorts. By now it was plainly obvious Mettaton really was going to extreme lengths to sabotage Alice's answers and make the difficulty as hard as possible. Luckily it seemed that Alphys was quick on her feet or had memorized Mettaton's quiz on her own time as she once again mimed the answer with her hands.

"C, as in Cheshire Cat." Alice giggled a bit.

"OF COURSE THAT WAS EASY FOR YOU! TIME TO BREAK OUT THE BIG GUNS!" Mettaton seemed ready to finish this quiz, much to Alice's relief.

'In the dating simulation video game "Mew Mew Kissy Cutie" what is Mew Mew's favorite food?" After just the mere question popped up, several things occurred. One, Alice looked at it in great confusion as she had never heard of either a video game or a dating simulation. _Why would one even want to simulate something meant to be so intimate?_ Alice pondered. Second, Alphys surprisingly spoke up while raising her hand and in a voice that was extremely excited,

"OH! OH! I KNOW THIS ONE! IT'S SNAIL ICE CREAM! IN THE FOURTH CHAPTER EVERYONE GOES TO THE BEACH! AND SHE BUYS ICE CREAM FOR ALL OF HER FRIENDS! BUT IT'S SNAIL FLAVOR AND SHE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTS IT! IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS IN THE GAME BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY POWERFUL message about friendship and…"

Alphys's excitable answer quickly lost steam towards the end once she realized she was not only interfering in the quiz show directly before Mettaton, but that she also showed that she was perfectly aware of the answers to this quiz. Thus, unlike Alice's lamp situation in Snowdin Forest, Alphys had blown her own cover in regards to being sneaky in helping her out. Also Alice had to seriously question what kind of video game "Mew Mew Kissy Cutie" was if the main character liked snail ice cream or who in their right mind would make such a flavor. Probably a monster of some sort but it definitely made Alice believe that snails were a beloved delicacy for monsters seeing how this character and Toriel both adored recipes that used snails. It was actually a little depressing to imagine how terrified these snails must've been of being caught by a monster. Alice looked to Mettaton nervously, wondering if he caught onto what Alphys had done. Judging from his next reply he most certainly had,

"ALPHYS, ALPHYS, ALPHYS. YOU AREN'T HELPING OUR CONTESTANT, ARE YOU? OOOOOOH! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME. I'LL ASK A QUESTION… YOU'LL BE SURE TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO!"

Alphys had tried shaking her head in denial but now could only waved her hands towards Alice as if saying not to answer. It was clear she was nervous about what Mettaton had asked and indeed the question was 'Who does Dr. Alphys have a crush on? A. Undyne B. Asgore C. The human D. Don't know.' _Oh gosh,_ Alice thought in the deepest sympathy for Alphys, _what a terribly private question._ What was even worse was that Alice had no choice but to answer it or risk Mettaton's wrath. So she quickly analyzed each choice. Based on what she had learned about the relationships between Monsters in Snowdin meant that Undyne wasn't immediately a ridiculous answer as two females could fall in love here and be accepted for that. Still Undyne… didn't really seem easy to warm up to and was clearly out to get humans no matter the costs. As heroic and strong she seemed, it didn't seem like she was the kind who was up for romance. It was true that Undyne had mentioned Alphys as her friend but otherwise Alice had a slight difficulty imagining Undyne as Alphys's crush based on how intimidating the fish woman could be. The last two answers were instantly out of the question as Alice would've been even more irked at the idea of Alphys crushing on the human and yet supporting trying to kill them for their soul and Alice wasn't going to take the cowardly 'don't know' way out. That only left one other answer….

"Could it be B. Asgore?" She offered.

As the Royal Scientist, it was easy for Alphys to have gained close contact and one-on-one interaction with the king and even more likely for feelings to sprout from then on. It wasn't a matter of trying to be a golddigger and take advantage of the king's power and wealth but more so of a level of respect that developed into something more. Also it seemed like a more traditional crush that seemed well suited for someone working in a scientific and professional field. At least that was the basis for Alice's theory on B being the correct answer. Alphys immediately began to blush and covered her face with her arms as she shivered nervously. Mettaton seemed positively enthralled with Alice's answer as he began to speak,

"WHY WOULD SOMEONE OUTFIT AN AMUSEMENT ROBOT… WITH BRUTAL COMBAT CAPABILITIES? SIMPLE. TO IMPRESS MR. ASGORE DREEMURR, OF COURSE! OR AS ALPHYS CALLS HIM… 'MR. DREAMY.' THOSE STRONG ARMS… THAT LUSTROUS BEARD… LIKE ALL THOSE WHO CREATE WEAPONS. SHE CRAVES THE TENDER EMBRACE OF A BURLY MAN. CAN SHE TRULY BE BLAMED?"

"I-I suppose not when you describe him like that…" Alice twirled her hair nervously and looked sadly at Alphys.

Part of her was relieved though to hear the real reason why Alphys had made Mettaton with anti-human features. It seemed as though the king's stern belief and her desire to make him proud as the Royal Scientist had influenced her to take a more proactive stance on trying to break the barrier. So she had upgraded Mettaton to be more capable of retrieving a soul. It made Alice understand the doctor a lot better and sympathize with her enough to lose some of her harboring distrust of Alphys. Right now Alice felt as though Alphys could be understood and thus she should give her the pleasure to be understood by somebody else. Especially since her own creation had just exposed some of Alphys's inner feelings and desires in such a shameful way. It made Alice turn her head to give a cross look at Mettaton as he slid over next to Alphys.

"WELL WELL WELL. WITH DR. ALPHYS HELPING YOU… THE SHOW HAS NO DRAMATIC TENSION! WE CAN'T GO ON LIKE THIS! BUT. BUT! THIS WAS JUST THE PILOT EPISODE! NEXT UP, MORE DRAMA! MORE ROMANCE! MORE BLOODSHED! UNTIL NEXT TIME, DARLINGS…!" Mettaton concluded the game show with a lot of pizzazz.

"Next time…?" Alice asked nervously as Mettaton suddenly seemed to withdraw into himself like a turtle with a shell.

Then suddenly a flame sprouted beneath him and he took up into the sky and blew a hole through the ceiling in the lab as Alphys watched him go. Alice stepped out of the way as small bits of debris landed on the ground but otherwise the worst was over. Alice sighed, tired not only from the game show but from the fact she hadn't yet had a chance to get some genuine rest that didn't involve scorching heat. She didn't know if a science lab made such a good place to rest either but at this point Alice was quite tempted to ask. However, she knew there were more important things to discuss and so she asked Alphys.

"Dr. Alphys, are you alright?" She asked, using the formal title Mettaton had used.

"...Well that was certainly something. Th-that last question. H-he wasn't supposed to ask that one… but I'm fine." Alphys replied sheepishly.

"I must say I have yet to see what Papyrus seems to see in him. I think he's narcissistic and a bit cruel to openly reveal such private information out to the public. Then it's true you made the improvements to him to appease Asgore?" Alice asked again after venting some of her innermost frustrations.

"... Y-yes… he's really an admirable guy… b-but I'm out of his league and he trusts so much with me that I would hate to let him down... sometimes I feel I already h-have…" Alphys looked quite sad upon admitting to this.

"Well… hmm… I've never been acquainted with royalty so I can't really say what's on King Asgore's mind at the moment but I know your friends think very highly of you. So at the very least you've got people who support you and would definitely approve of your crush and maybe even help it come to fruition." Alice spoke sweetly as she tried to comfort Alphys.

"T-thank you Alice…"

Despite these words, Alphys began to look at Alice with a strange look. It was a look of close examination or perhaps doubt. For some reason it reminded Alice of when Sans had spoken severely to her after she had complained about Papyrus, as if Alphys had or knew more than she was letting on and if Alice did something wrong she would use it. Alice couldn't help but gulp and ask,

"I-is there something the matter?"

"Alice… I've been thinking about this for a long time since I first s-saw you… and I wanted to a-ask you… are you THE Alice? From 'Alice in Wonderland?'" Alphys inquired honestly.

"... I beg your pardon?" Alice suddenly felt short of breath.

This was the exact feeling she had gotten when she first found out that she was not only in the future but possibly in a different realm after Toriel had talked about Mt. Ebott and showed her the cellphone. It was the feeling of being completely oblivious and vulnerable to something new that seemed common sense for everyone else but Alice. Alphys had not only said 'Wonderland' but she said 'Alice in Wonderland'. A title. Where did that title come from and why was it so accurate to everything Alice had in life? Alphys sensed Alice's confusion and quickly began to explain,

"Alice… I don't m-mean to sound presumptuous or like I'm some strange stalker b-but there happens to be a story by the author Lewis Carroll… a-a-a human… written in 1865 called 'Alice in Wonderland'... and it describes a girl who is practically just like you… a-a curious girl who came up with a world of her own called Wonderland. B-building upon that… that book has inspired countless other pieces of media-"

"I-I never heard of that writer! I don't… how is that possible…? Surely I would've come across it at a library o-or during my lessons…" Alice interrupted nervously as the gravity of what Alphys was implying began to pressure her greatly.

"... T-then… wouldn't you say that supports the idea of you being THE Alice…? I mean… t-thinking it based off an alternate reality sort of logic… maybe there's a world where your story existed as a series of… real events. T-then that story by Lewis Carroll and p-perhaps Lewis Carroll himself never existed there… a-and you somehow stumbled into the Underground and a different universe where the story and the writer existed through that same rabbit hole… l-like a character acting as a human..." Alphys elaborated on the idea.

There was a very long pause after that as Alice seemed to be thinking about what Alphys had said very carefully. It had so many implications that went against what Alice had initially believed. It was almost as it was downright saying Alice wasn't meant to be here or that her entire existence thus far had been a dream or an illusion. It was incredibly destructive reasoning...

"... An alternate universe… that would explain I suppose why I'm in a different time… b-but I couldn't possibly be a character... I-if I was, none of this would feel real to me… or it would've felt more like a dream in which I would've woken up by now since I'm supposedly not meant to exist… and it's been really painful..." Alice hugged herself as though she was cold and couldn't even look to Alphys as she spoke.

Alphys started to bite her lip and realized this was quickly becoming a bad idea. It looked like the little girl was completely distraught and shaken by the idea of her existence being fictional or perhaps that her imaginary world of Wonderland was a concept that existed already. In the past, the Royal Scientist had indeed pursued things almost too heavily in her research and studies which contributed to her being rather insecure about speaking with people. Right now though, Alphys saw she was in the position she could stop her pursuit and instead try to understand the little girl. After all, it wasn't like Alice had done anything to deserve being probed about her reason for existing.

"... W-wait Alice-"

"But maybe you're right… I've been completely in the dark of these new things I've seen down here. The cell phones, the computers, the monsters… but it seems commonplace for everyone else. I'm in another time… I'm all alone… there's nothing resembling Wonderland… and apparently there already was a Wonderland even before I fell down the rabbit hole... Still it all feels quite real to me… I'm being hunted down for goodness sake! H-how can I deny that?" Alice interrupted Alphys, looking like she was slowly agreeing with Alphys for the worse.

 _Oh no… she's falling into despair!_ Alphys thought in a panic as she saw Alice's eyes become emptier and darker. Alice was still trying to defend herself but it seemed she had been defending herself all this time and what Alphys has said was what pushed her over the edge. Alphys knew she had to intervene in some form and called out to Alice,

"A-Alice… I think maybe it is real to you… p-perhaps I'm just being a bit too harsh… y-yes you are the spitting image of the Walt Disney 1951 film but-"

"... Walt Disney?" Alice, who had been looking very grim as she began to question her very existence, looked to Alphys curious again.

"O-oh yes um… w-well he's considered one of the pioneers of animation a-a-and made a lot of movies… and his company s-still exists today… it's as great as anime if you ask me. H-he made a film about you and your story and in fact… you look exactly like that 'Alice'. T-tell me… what do you remember before falling down the rabbit hole?" Alphys perked up as she realized she had gotten Alice's attention.

Alice wasn't sure what Alphys was attempting to do. Alphys seemed smarter than Alice ever could be at this moment, and it seemed as though that history wasn't what Alice thought it was at all. If Alice couldn't recall a story that had existed before she had been born that had basically described that cherished world of her own, it must've been the truth that Alice was merely a character of sorts. Alice couldn't argue against that fact with as much confidence as other questions posed to her in the Underground as she didn't have that experience or that knowledge of what happened between the rabbit hole and coming here. Was she 'a' Alice or 'the' Alice? Real or fictional? _Still… I have nothing left to lose so maybe I should answer Alphys's questions,_ Alice thought hopefully. She was greatly losing her will to keep going on in the Underground at the moment and part of her still wanted to see more so she decided to give that part of her a chance.

"Well… it all started when I was sitting on the riverbank with my cat Dinah. W-we had gone to the park with my sister for a history lesson but I had quickly grown bored and wandered off…" Alice recounted what had felt like years ago but seemed chronologically a few days ago.

"Y-your sister… was she dressed in purple perchance with brown hair?" Alphys asked.

Alice nodded in response.

"... That is how the Disney movie opened up… b-b-but come to think of it… your sister didn't really um… h-how should I put it? Show much of herself in the film. What d-do you remember about her?" Alphys asked.

She was going for an angle that would show the human capacity within Alice. Characters usually only felt, thought, had, or wanted what the script or story wanted them to have. They could have memories but it was up to them and the story they were a part of to reveal those memories. Furthermore, such memories would be very specific and would work to advance the plot or develop that character more. In a nutshell, the memories we see a character having could only be a fraction of the total memories they actually have. Humans often had much more memories or at least could recall much more memories than a character could. So for instance if Alice could recall things that her film or book or media didn't show, that would certainly confirm she was truly a human girl named Alice.

"Well… my sister and I were v-very close… we would have tea parties often, we would sometimes recount riddles or play games, she was always teaching me whatever she could, and I looked up to her often. She always wanted me to be ladylike and taught me how to be the way I am..." Alice seemed to be smiling more and some life returned to her eyes as she replied.

"A-and Dinah?"

"Oh Dinah… s-she was my best friend… sometimes when I was scolded too harshly she would be by my side to comfort me and make me feel less alone. We traveled far and wide… well not quite as far and wide as down here but fairly close… and she… was the one I first opened up to about my Wonderland. S-she didn't quite understand it now that I think about it but the fact that she was listening… made me feel important and comforted."

"... It sounds like you loved them very much." Alphys smiled, knowing now that she had an answer.

Something else was stirring in her head though, an addendum to her theory to work with what she now knew. If the Alice who stood before her was indeed a human and not a character, how was it still possible for the concept of 'Alice in Wonderland' to exist without it not being known to Alice? Or at the very least, how did this young human girl end up being so similar to the character and have her dreams live on into the future to inspire creators and idealists after she fell into the Underground? Alphys needed to get one more significant detail that she felt would crack the code. Alice, who suddenly appeared teary eyed, sniffled

"I-I did… but what's so depressing is… I-I let my curiosity abandon them a-and fell down here… no one would ever think to look for me here… and now I'm beyond my time… my sister and Dinah are gone now… t-they were left behind and m-must've been worried for me and heartbroken up until they p… passed… ngh…"

Alice began sobbing hard, the stress of everything she had underwent thus far, the new revelations challenging her existence, and remembering all she had lost finally being too much for her. She put her hands onto her face and sobbed, wishing she had never followed Chara down here. This confession though… this final, powerful memory… was exactly what Alphys needed. She wasn't used to speaking like this at all, rather she felt like this was out of her comfort zone and something somebody other than her should be doing. But… if she was to atone for her earlier mistakes in some way, then this was definitely her chance. She took a deep breath and spoke as clearly and with as little nerves as she could,

"... A-Alice, I have a theory. As I said before, the novel 'Alice in Wonderland' was made in 1865 by Lewis Carroll. F-for years that story was out and had a mixed popularity before being revered by the end of the 19th century…. That book was about a girl named Alice who stumbled into Wonderland b-but that it was a fiction story... A-and I'd like to think you never got a chance to read it or see it before out of coincidence... When you were born and raised by your sister, you just happened to have that Alice's imagination and curiousity but also differed in several ways from the Alice portrayed in the book... For starters you were a human girl, y-you existed, you could learn and had much more compassion. Y-y-you lived a wonderful life... and unlike Carroll's heroine, you fell down a rabbit hole into the Underground. When you disappeared, I-I believe your sister did everything she could to find you and when she couldn't, she did the next best thing: s-she carried your name on her sleeve throughout the rest of her life... She talked to everyone she knew about the amazing adventures you created in your head, a-about your dreams and appearance, about the future she thought you never got to experience. The similarities between you and that Lewis Carroll story must've sparked a great deal of interest in 'Alice in Wonderland' a-and that's what resulted in things like the Disney film... That Alice and all other movie Alice's after that were fictional but you became their muse. You are a real-life human girl named Alice who is just as imaginative and curious as any fictional Alice before and after your time... a-and it was your sister who immortalized you. Even up to today, even if nobody knew that you still are very much alive after disappearing, your sister let you live on in memory s-so that you wouldn't be forgotten and even though she died, her actions clearly showed how much she cherished you. You're not a character Alice, you're a human."

"I'm… me... My sister… s-she did all that… oh sister... uuu…" Alice sobbed, suddenly feeling completely enlightened and saved in a sense.

Her only mental image of her sister and Dinah up until now was one of despair, of their graves like she had seen in that nightmare where Sans had killed her. But now Alice had a different image of what her sister had done after Alice had disappeared, or at least a far more positive one that showed they hadn't died in vain. Her sister writing a book describing Alice's life and her memories, her sister speaking about Alice to a crowd, her sister possibly gathering people or finding people who had lost a younger sibling to discuss and open up about it, so many imaginative and positive things that showed her sister never forgot Alice and made the most of the rest of her life to keep Alice's memory alive. If anything, it was the greatest sort of favor her sister could've done after that tragedy, making sure Alice never truly was alone. This 'Alice in Wonderland' tale from the human surface might not have entirely revolved around her, but by being connected to it spiritually and it being present in this time, it felt as though Alice had never disappeared and that she was still around even in the future. Alphys had beautifully demonstrated that truth to Alice and so Alice knew there was no more room for doubt. Alice had to keep surviving, she had to stay determined, she had to do for the monsters what her sister did for her; make sure they were free and lived on into the future.

"A-are you feeling better Alice…? I-I'm really not good with these kinds of talks." Alphys admitted as she watched the little girl sob.

Alice took a few breaths of air before wiping her tears away. She knew her sister would still love to know she was being as lady-like as possible and she felt like a giant question that had plagued her was finally solved. While Alphys had brought up the question again, she had also answered it in a sympathetic way that made Alice feel that a weight had been lifted off her shoulders and while she had turned on Mettaton to target Alice, Alphys had still helped Alice answer the complicated questions. There was definitely some mystery behind Alphys still and Alice knew she had to be slightly on her guard when asking questions from and talking to her, but overall she was definitely a very likable monster in her own special way and her kindness and wisdom did shine through. So Alice said with a cheerful smile,

"N-no… you're actually quite skillful at them."

To Be Continued...


	20. A Very Merry Unbirthday

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 19 A Very Merry Unbirthday

After parting from the hug at long last, Alice decided now was the time to get a bit more acquainted with Alphys and the lab. Clearing her throat, she asked Alphys,

"May I look around your Lab Dr. Alphys?"

"O-oh sure…! I mean m-my lab isn't anything special down here… upstairs though there's bound to b-be some stuff you'd like! Although can I just say something cr-crazy…?" Alphys asked in turn with a nervous tone.

"Well can't be anything crazier than some of the things I think of everyday." Alice chuckled.

"Let me give you my ph-phone number! Th-then… m-maybe… If you need help, I could…"

"Oh well… of course. I don't see any harm in that." Alice eased Alphys's worries by agreeing to the offer and pulled out her cell phone.

However once she had pulled out the phone, Alphys looked at it and stepped backward, her arms placed in a defensive positioning as if averting her eyes. She looked flabbergasted at Alice's phone and made Alice feel a bit lost. At least until Alphys spoke again,

"Wh… where'd you get that phone!? It's ANCIENT! It doesn't even have texting."

"Truthfully I got it from someplace equally ancient… and what's 'texting' if I may ask?" Alice felt slightly embarrassed as she answered.

"T-texting is basically sending messages to o-one another through typing on a keyboard on your p-phone… it's like… c-chatting from far away… W-wait a second, please!" Alphys replied and then snatched Alice's phone and ran off.

Alice wasn't sure what Alphys was planning on doing until she heard some peculiar sounds fill the air. Dinging and buzzing and slamming as if she had stumbled upon a construction site. _Oh, she must be upgrading my phone then!_ Alice realized. Granted Alice wasn't quite as excited about this phone in the first place as opposed to other things in the Underground but she decided a favor was a favor and appreciated it. Sure enough, the Royal Scientist ran over and handed her a clearly sleeker, more metallic, and detailed phone. There was also something attached to it, made of metal like a small chain and it had something rather cute on the end of it made of fabric. If Alice had to describe it honestly it looked like a very small reindeer with an unusual design. It was wearing a pink top hat similar to Napstablook's dapper look with a white 'X' on it in very big print, a metal brace on it's right antler, burgundy shorts, a blue nose, white eyes with huge black pupils, light brown fur, and was standing and striking a pose that seemed to indicate a greeting. It was extremely cute if a bit unusual in the portrayal of a reindeer in Alice's eye.

"Here, I upgraded it for you! It can do texting, items, it's got a keychain.. I even signed you up for the underground's No. 1 social network!" Alphys took advantage of Alice's curiosity to explain all she had done to the phone.

"... If I may inquire, who exactly is this character… and what do you mean by social network?" Alice asked, holding a finger up.

"... Err… t-that I do not know… but he's a cute little guy isn't he…? And by social network i-it's basically a site where a lot of monsters and hu-humans can get together and share their daily life to everyone and have friends. Now we're officially friends! Ehehehe!" Alphys giggled giddily and clapped once.

"I suppose that's reassuring. I really haven't gotten used to all this technology though… I'm impressed it's progressed this far. Thank you Dr. Alphys." Alice confessed before showing her thanks with another curtsy.

"Yeah… hehehe…. Heheh…. Heh… …. …. …." Suddenly Alphys looked very self-conscious and looked from the left to the right before settling on the open close door that Alice had noticed before on this floor.

On cue, the door opened suddenly and Alphys stuttered,

"I'm going to the bathroom."

She then promptly ran inside and closed the door. Alice was a bit amused to find out that room was a bathroom but also confused as to why Alphys was being so shy and just letting Alice walk off on her own. As tempting as it was to do it without letting Alphys know, it didn't seem very honest or kind for Alice to do that.

"Wait a moment, are you sure about this? You're fine letting me look through the Lab alone…?" She asked politely.

"O-oh sure… j-just be careful not to touch any of the machines… and the e-escalator isn't too fast… j-just make sure to step off it before it sinks too low... " Alphys advised as her feet tapped just behind the door.

Alice smiled, kind of glad that someone was giving her permission to be curious for a change rather than her maybe being a bit presumptuous in exploring on her own. Not to mention she knew fundamentally not to play around with any of these advanced machines. There was one more thing though that Alice wanted to ask,

"Also Dr. Alphys, would it be ok if I stayed here the night? I've just been so exhausted from my recent adventures that I could use a place to sleep in peace."

There was a small silence with the foot tapping coming to a halt as Alice waited to hear from Alphys. It was a strangely long silence but in the end, Alphys did give Alice an answer.

"Yeah… of course Alice, I th-think you deserve a nice place to rest. J-just be sure to sleep somewhere comfortable a-and not on the floor ok?" Alphys compromised.

"Definitely! Thank you Dr. Alphys." Alice cheerfully remarked as she used the escalator to get onto the next floor.

Upon reaching the next floor, Alice found herself face to face with five bookshelves, filled with a variety of books, cases, and other knick knacks and colored differently much like that of the Snowdin Library. From right to left they were mint green, dark green, yellow, blue, and red. Peering into the first shelf, Alice found some scientific books that were very dusty and looked of complicated but informative subject matters. Alice knew it'd take much too long for her to peer through all these books though and there were other things to see so she moved onto the next shelf. All the books were labelled Human History. _Oh… these must be the history books Undyne was talking about,_ Alice recalled that confusing statement Undyne had made. The warrior had said that she thought humans were cool based on Alphys's history books but then listed giant robots of all things as an example. This was Alice's chance to see for herself the legitimacy of Alphys's sense of human history. Peering into a book and she saw a colorful image of a giant robot fighting a beautiful alien princess in an outfit so revealing her sister would've tossed the book away. It definitely wasn't at all accurate for giant robots, let alone normal robots, didn't exist around Alice's time. The next bookshelf was filled with strange things that looked like small boxes and cases with different designs on them with the titles of cartoons. Oddly enough they were also labelled "Human History" despite clearly not looking like books. _What are they even supposed to be?_ Alice questioned herself with slight impatience. The next bookshelf featured a comic book of two scantily-clad chefs flinging what appeared to be energy pancakes at one another…

"This is simply rubbish!" Alice scowled as she shoved the comic book back into the bookshelf and pulled out a book from the final bookshelf.

It was yet another comic book, this time about a hideous android running to school with toast in its mouth. Seems like it's late. Once again, incredibly inaccurate. _I can't believe Undyne believed Alphys with this,_ Alice thought baffled. Moving along the room, she noticed a lot more things on this level than she had initially spotted. There was a very strange machine with two pink levers, green stuff poking out on top and within the machine, a tube much like an elephant trucks that spilled pink ooze into a metal bucket on the ground. It looked a bit disgusting though also intriguing. There were several tools hanging on the wall behind it as well. Further along appeared to be Alphys's work table, particularly dusty for being one, with a diagram of an unknown formula on it and two metal tools. Above it on the wall was a very cutesy pink poster with hearts and some sort of girl with fluffy hair, cat ears, winking and striking a very cheerful pose. _Clearly her taste in different interests extends far in wide,_ Alice thought. The diagram was particularly interesting as she saw what appeared to look like a SOUL being portrayed on the paper though the text was unreadable. Alice continued on into the floor to find something else of interest and gasped in surprise,

"Are these letters…?"

She had no interest in the wardrobe as she felt it would be a bit rude to pry into someone's closet and see what their clothing was like so instead she passed it by to find another table with drawers, a pretty blue lamp with salmon pink fish on it, and a stack of letters. The names were marked from many monsters that Alice recognized. Froggit, Snowy, Doggo being the ones on top and unopened. _How unusual,_ Alice thought, w _hy would Dr. Alphys receive letters from those monsters?_ It didn't seem like the Dog Guard to send letters to the Royal Scientist who lived in Hotland from Snowdin, it didn't seem like Snowy to even know who Alphys was, and Froggits were usually in the ruins. _Perhaps it's an invitation to some sort of gathering?_ Alice thought further. What was the most puzzling thing besides the fact Alphys received letters from these specific monsters was that she hadn't even opened them. Alice peered at the envelope closely to see if she could get some idea of when it was sent. The letters had been received rather recently, four days ago. Alice was tempted to open one of them herself to see the contents inside but in her heart she knew that would be going too far and would betray Alphys's trust in the little girl. Placing the letter back and making sure the stack was exactly where Alice left it, Alice turned her attention to a strange blue box and another poster that had a similar pink color scheme to the last one but was pink and seemed to feature Asian kanji.

"Now I wonder what this sort of thing is…" Alice said to herself as she grabbed onto it.

To her surprise, it appeared to extend outward and flatten up into a perfectly sized bed. Alice gave a delighted giggle, happy to have a perfect bed to sleep in. Still she noticed one more thing in the room that caught her eye before the power of drowsiness began to overcome her. It appeared to be a vibrant poster of Mettaton, talking about his TV premiere and even had the intended air date on it. There was also something written on the flap of the poster that said "Thank you for making my dreams come true."

"Oh… well that's very sweet." Alice remarked positively.

Even though Mettaton was after her and did seem to throw Alphys under the bus, this single message was proof that the robot held a great loyalty to the Royal Scientist for creating him and giving him the opportunity to become the star of the Underground. The fact this poster was displayed so proudly in the Lab meant Alphys had similar feelings about him and was extremely proud of Mettaton. Alice then looked uncertain, recalling how it seemed that Mettaton's current aggressive hunting mode seemed to be brought on by her arrival. It wasn't something she could help of course but it didn't make her feel proud that she had unintentionally disrupted Mettaton's normal lifestyle. _Didn't he say he was broadcasting that quiz show,_ Alice corrected herself in the heat of the moment. So maybe Mettaton was simply just good at balancing his programming times with his times to hunt Alice. It'd also explain why he had left her be instead of ensuring she was killed.

"... A-anyways… I need to get some rest… I feel so weary…" Alice sighed to herself as she yawned and waddled over to the blue bed she made.

She plopped on down, got comfortable, and instantly fell into a long, deep sleep. Moments after falling asleep, Alice felt a similar sensation to one that was quite hard to forget. The feeling of something unusual having just happened right after she went to sleep. As she stirred awake due to this unusual sensation, her suspicions were confirmed. She was in another life-like dream such as the ones she had before. The last dream had in a way been the most peaceful and the most gentle so far as she hadn't been killed, she saw that mysterious goat boy, and no sign of the strange other 'Alice' but here it was still uneasy. These dreams were filled with clues that related to the Underground's lore, happenings, and characters but also seemed to be predicting Alice's future or show another potential result that would've happened had she done things differently. _I must remain alert and be mindful of my surroundings then,_ Alice told herself much like a military soldier would to mentally prepare his or herself. She realized she was still laying down so she sat up and rubbed her eyes before taking a look at her new surroundings. What she saw though was perhaps as baffling as the most nightmarish of these dreams, the one where she had been killed by Sans by the graves of her sister and Dinah. She was in a completely new area unlike anything she had seen before in the Underground.

"... I-is this… a hospital…?" She inquired silently.

She noticed first that the room itself was quite dark, as if someone had turned off the lights yet still had a strange pale light providing enough vision to make out what was in the room. There also appeared to be some unusual fog or smoke hovering in the room and it smelled rather damp and chemically like medicine or that it hadn't been used in a while. Several surprisingly alive-looking potted plants were in upper left and bottom right corners of the room with what appeared to be a dog bowl lying on the floor empty and abandoned. There appeared to be nine beds in total that appeared to have a metal frame but a classically soft mattress with pillows and red and purple checkered blankets. There also appeared to be a hallway to the left though it was too dark to see where it would lead. There was also a broken clock, some strange message board that Alice couldn't read from the bed she was lying on, an ominous entryway, and another hallway to the right of that entryway. The overall vibe made it feel like some kind of hospital resting area though the atmosphere also suggested it had gone unused for a countless amount of time. It was extremely creepy… though Alice had to admit the beds still felt rather comfortable.

"... Hmm…" Alice began to think about this.

Granted each dream's location had varied a bit differently. The first dream had indeed taken place in the Ruins though at the time at an area Alice hadn't come to yet, the second dream seemed to have been in a location not quite within the Underground but more so something that perhaps Alice would've seen in her world, and the third dream had taken place in the original area where Alice arrived in the Underground. New, unknown, and familiar. _What if this location is a combination of all three attributes?_ Even with that unique reasoning, Alice wasn't sure if she recalled there being a hospital in Snowdin or Waterfall. It was possible this was Alphys's lab but there was no other rooms to be found from Alice's exploration so how could it be connected and why was it kept so unkempt? The unknown and new parts seemed to fit in just fine but not the idea of it being a familiar place. Before Alice could think anymore on this, a sudden and startling voice broke through her thoughts and cast her on edge,

"I'm so glad you're finally here… it would be quite a shame to miss your Unbirthday Party."

"Eep…! W-who…?" Alice gasped and her eyes darted around the room until she saw the source sitting in the bed next to her.

Alice had heard of stories about an 'evil twin' or a 'doppelganger' but even so, she much rather would've taken a chance on meeting either of those than being in the presence of… 'this'. It was the mysterious and paler 'Alice' from her dreams who had both killed brutally and mourned tragically. Granted from the last few appearances, this was perhaps the most casual Alice had seen her. 'Alice' was smiling, looking cordial with her hands placed daintily in her lap, one leg hanging over the bed and the other presumably crossed under her skirt but the main difference between her and Alice was the pale colors of the clothes 'Alice' wore. This was the first time though that Alice was seeing 'Alice' face to face. Thus Alice saw that 'Alice's eyes seemed to be lavender as well and her skin was snow white. A haunting contrast to Alice's pure and bright hues in every way. Still 'Alice' looked quite lovely, not even from a vain standpoint of Alice admiring herself in another form, and her smile at the moment was rather reassuring. _It's certainly better than taking a risk with Sans or Chara again,_ Alice reminded herself. Still, Alice was quite stunned to see her being so sociable and talking normally much like how she did at the graveyard. She quickly identified 'Alice',

"... Y-you're… me…?! The other me… in my dreams! The one who-"

"Is trying to find a way home desperately? Yes, so it is. I am grateful you called me 'me' though. It is truly tiresome when someone denies themselves in such a tedious fashion. We're 'Alice' together." 'Alice' seemed to talk in an almost sing-song fashion.

Alice was perplexed. There were hints of her usual polite dialect and soft voice in 'Alice' but her vocabulary seemed even more unusual and rhythmic than how Alice would've spoke and she also stumbled upon an unusual concept of them being the same person. Were they the same person…? If Alice had to base this question off the previous encounters of 'Alice' in the dreams, then she could say that 'Alice' was who Alice could've become had she not followed Toriel's advice and mercilessly pursued an escape from the Underground on her own. It would explain why those dreams felt so realistic though it didn't explain that particular moment with the unknown Graveyard or the strange goat boy. After all, she hadn't seen either of those before and if she was to go even deeper with the goat boy knowing 'Chara'... it didn't seem reasonable that this 'Alice' was some alternate version of her. _Unless the Underground differs in other universes? Oh what am I saying, this is preposterous!_ Alice groaned. She decided instead of giving herself a headache that it was best to speak to 'Alice'.

"I-I have no idea how you know me… o-or what exactly your existence is like… but can you at least tell me where we are?" Alice asked her other self.

'Alice' though chuckled and tapped her finger against her chin with a coy smile. There was something familiar about her whole demeanor, fanciful and playful. Almost as if she came from Wonderland herself.

"I don't believe it'd be fair to give away the answer to a riddle that you haven't even come across yet. Just wait and you'll see… or wait and be killed by ASGORE or SANS, it's really all up to you and how your Pacifism plays out." She replied with a wink.

"..." Alice flinched.

It seemed even 'Alice' was aware that Sans had a great deal of power up his sleeve despite no mention of Sans to 'Alice' in either dream. Now she was outright saying that Sans would possibly go after her or kill her like Asgore had had Undyne do. Though that seemed to conflict extremely with the fact Papyrus was alive. Why would Sans go after her after having spared his brother? _Although it would explain why he hasn't stopped checking up on me,_ Alice thought grimly, _making sure he knows exactly where I'm at…_ Alice felt she had redeemed her initial hostile behavior towards Sans with all she had done so far. They even were able to share laughs and decent conversations with one another so surely Sans wouldn't be as willing to kill her as the other 'Alice'. Dreams notwithstanding anyway since Papyrus wasn't dead. 'Alice' kept speaking though as Alice continued to think in silence,

"I will give you a hint though, there's no need to worry about any unexpected intruders. I've cleaned them all out so this area is perfect for an Unbirthday Party."

Alice frowned at not only the way 'Alice' worded "cleaned them all out" but also the fact she was freely using Wonderland terminology much like how her daydreams played out. It was almost like she was teasing Alice about Wonderland truly existing and that she had been there and was closer to it than Alice was. All for some desperate proof that 'Alice's No Mercy route had bigger benefits than Alice's Pacifist route. Alice huffed angrily at 'Alice' and folded her arms.

"... What makes you think I would even enjoy an Unbirthday Party with you? Or that you won't kill me before we get to the cake? Or that I AM the cake?!" She bellowed.

To Alice's concern, 'Alice' didn't seem at all affected by the outburst. She tilted her head in a confused and innocent way.

"I don't think humans would taste very good to be honest. I doubt that the six dead children had their bodies baked into a pie after all. It's not as appetizing as say custard or mustard or jam and ham… Besides, why would I kill 'myself'? That's the height of idiocy." 'Alice's sugary sweet tone seemed placed to hide the subtle malice and insanity in her words.

 _She's acting just like how the Mad Hatter or the March Hare would,_ Alice thought with some horror. It began to occur to her that if this WAS another version of her… that this meant Alice went completely mad. It was disturbing on a whole different level than 'snail pie', it was an insight to how vulnerable Alice could be. It was a statement that the Underground could literally drive you mad whereas with Wonderland the madness was there from the start and was practically celebrated. Not to mention that 'Alice' showed that she was still strangely acute and spoke sense while somehow still speaking nonsense. One thing sounded intelligent and logical but was phrased in an absurd way like a riddle. It was the kind of conversations that Alice recalled most struggling with in her daydreams about Wonderland or at least was something she was afraid of encountering in a world of her own. Alice sighed and tried to regain her composure.

"You certainly seem willing to kill anything or anybody that stands in your way…" Alice pointed out.

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong Alice. I haven't killed the special guest." 'Alice' winked at Alice as she made a flashy gesture towards her left.

Alice was confused but followed as 'Alice' strung her along with the promise of someone else being here. To her shock, Alice saw that whoever it was wasn't merely sitting but floating over the bed. It was Napstablook. Which given the recent question Mettaton had imposed on her seemed a bit too on the nose to be a mere coincidence. What was more bizarre was that Napstablook had not been floating besides 'Alice' throughout this whole discussion up until this moment. The most likely conclusion was that he arrived or appeared when Alice's attention was completely on 'Alice' or thinking to herself. However, Napstablook looked quite… shattered from when Alice last saw him. Something told Alice that this Napstablook was not the one she knew of but rather the one that 'Alice' knew. Either way, Alice was still finding it hard to believe Napstablook had appeared in her dream like this.

"N-Napstablook…?! W-what are you doing here…?!" She asked.

"... alice… i… i don't understand… how could you have done that…?" Napstablook replied in such a sorrowful tone that Alice was convinced he didn't trust her.

Alice suspected he was talking about something 'Alice' did yet she couldn't help herself from feeling hurt. Being questioned by a friend for something you didn't do, no matter the circumstances, was particularly painful.

"It wasn't me it was the other 'me'! You can tell the sheer difference between our appearances. Look how dusty she is compared to me!" Alice stammered as she gestured towards herself.

Napstablook barely took notice, not even looking to 'Alice' to compare like Alice had requested. It was truly the kind of behavior Alice would expect from a traditional ghost. That was what made this very heartbreaking for Alice to bear witness to. Napstablook opened his mouth again,

"... but… then how come you didn't res-"

"Clean cup, clean cup, move down, move down…!" However 'Alice' suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs, scaring Alice.

"W-what…?! Move down… and what do you mean clean cu-" Alice was about to object but then 'Alice' lunged at her.

'Alice' grabbed Alice roughly by the wrist and dragged her out of the bed, stunning her badly and causing her to fall to the ground. 'Alice' then pulled Alice over to one of the other beds, one towards the right side of the room and plopped her on there. Alice was a bit dazed and her wrist suddenly tender, though she was thankful that 'Alice' hadn't done anything else. Alice wondered if 'Alice' had done that purposefully to change the subject away from Napstablook's statement. She looked over and saw 'Alice' was sitting in another bed as was Napstablook so they had also 'moved down'. But then there was something else… something there that wasn't there before. Standing over by the wall, behind them was a new figure. It was a figure unlike anything Alice had seen yet in the Underground and was extremely spooky. They had a black body with a white front and a white head with lithe hands. It's eyes were empty and soulless similar to that of Sans when his pupils disappeared and there were line-like markings over his eyes, one going down to the mouth and the other up into its head. It was fairly tall and it just stood there motionlessly. _What could it possibly be…?_ She thought as she turned to 'Alice' with a timid expression.

"... 'Alice'… w-what's that thing over there…?" She asked 'Alice', pointing to the figure.

To Alice's relief, 'Alice' did make an effort to answer it, turning to look over where Alice had pointed towards. However 'Alice' looked confused and tried looking other directions which indicated that she clearly wasn't seeing the figure.

"Hmm? I don't see anything… unless you mean a rather boring wallpaper." 'Alice' replied.

"T-there's a monster right there! I-it's eyes a-are hollow… there are strange markings… and it's hands are… moving…?" Alice at first was angry but her response lost steam as she noticed the monster doing something bizarre.

It was moving this time and also its white pupils were visible. One was unusually bigger than the other which only served to make it even more scary for Alice to witness. It's hands were nimbly forming different shapes in an effortless fashion and Alice realized it was using sign language. Unfortunately Alice hadn't yet learned how to decipher modern sign language so she had no idea what it was trying to say. _Although I oddly prefer this than to hearing what it might sound like,_ Alice looked on the bright side of things again. 'Alice' had a different reaction though. She suddenly nodded and had a smile on her face, clearly having realized something about what Alice had been trying to say. 'Alice' turned to Alice and spoke in a 'matter-of-factly' sort of way,

"Well there is a funny story that the riverboat captain says… something about 'beware of the man who speaks in hands'. Perhaps it's wanted to come to the Unbirthday Party."

"I never… well I guess I haven't really gotten to talk to them but… is that a real story…?" Alice asked nervously.

Napstablook nodded grimly and 'Alice' showed great confidence in her smile, confirming Alice's answer. Alice suddenly regretted not really taking the boat captain up on their offer as it seemed she missed a curious tale and some more good advice. Still this also left quite a bit more questions for Alice to get answers for.

"... B-but then won't it try to kill us or interrupt this Unbirthday Party…? Why must we be wary of it?"

"How can you interrupt when you don't even exist? How can you exist when you've fallen beyond Wonderland? Those are all things I've learned in this world that could explain why you have nothing to fear about him." 'Alice' seemed unusually defiant in her answer.

"... Then you know his name…?" Alice raised an eyebrow at this change of tone from 'Alice'.

She seemed awfully familiar with the subject despite Alice herself clearly not having even heard of this 'man' though granted 'Alice' did basically confirm she did things differently than Alice did. Although her talking about 'him' not existing seemed unusually questionable and more outward of a lie given that he was standing right there. It would confirm though why the man was standing there, having not moved from that spot and not trying to come join them in any way. It had no true physical form to interrupt or take part in the Unbirthday party and was just a mere apparition of what it once was. This was why 'Alice' was clearly unafraid of him either despite not seeing him like Alice could. 'Alice' however shook her head.

"Don't worry, he's relatively unimportant. If he was very important I would've pursued him, but since he's unimportant, he's merely some trivia. I don't know his name but… rumor has it that he was the previous Royal Scientist." She spoke like a giddy school-girl gossiping about something.

That certainly caught Alice's attention, though Alice had to wonder if 'Alice' had mentioned this fact in a way to place suspicion on Alphys. Through this statement she could be saying 'he doesn't exist anymore because Alphys did something to him so she could become the Royal Scientist' as an example. Granted the tone was more cheerful than playful so it did seem like 'Alice' genuinely thought to share this fact with Alice and she had described it as 'trivia'. This made Alice feel confident that it wasn't some sneaky wordplay to rouse suspicion on Alphys. _Actions speak louder than words after all,_ Alice reminded herself. She noticed that the former Royal Scientist seemed to react to 'Alice's words and stopped moving his hands and just stared stupefied at them. Worried, Alice gulped.

"Before Alphys…? … W-well what happened to-"

"Clean cup, clean cup, move down, move down!" 'Alice' however seemed determined to put a halt to this chat and once again moved Alice by force to another bed.

This all 'moving down' business had been in Alice's daydreams before, in the midst of a difficult and frustrating tea party. Though naturally this was a lot worse than that tea party had been for the mere fact there wasn't even any tea or colorful teacups and the scenery was gloomy as opposed to animated. Alice frowned as she sat down on her new bed and looked sympathetically over to Napstablook who still looked very out of it. However, when she looked over to where the former Royal Scientist stood she noticed he had suddenly disappeared. She thought to ask the other witness in the room if he had seen him,

"N-Napstablook… where did that figure go…?"

"... oh i h-hadn't noticed anyone… i don't even think there is anyone else besides us… everyone's gone…" Napstablook spoke sorrowfully, even more sorrowfully than when Alice first met him in the ruins.

"... I'm really sorry that happened to you… but don't worry. In my world, everyone's alive…" Alice felt it was futile but couldn't help herself from trying to lift his spirits.

"... sounds like a lovely world... "

"It's a hopeless world though. She'll never return home the way she's acted." 'Alice' interjected with a seemingly bitter statement.

"You don't seem to have escaped either 'Alice' so I wouldn't make such hasty assumptions yet. Now there is something I've been meaning to ask you. What… have you done so far?" Alice straightened out her skirts as she challenged 'Alice'.

"Well… to be fair our sense of time is quite warped… one step forward for you is approximately five steps forward for me." 'Alice' explained.

That answer did seem consistent with the whole foreshadowing dreams idea and also explained a bit more on why 'Alice' knew things Alice didn't or why Napstablook was acting this way. Though it was rather intimidating thinking that all this time 'Alice' had been following Alice's journey ahead of her and had done things drastically different. What lied ahead for Alice then…? Also it was suspicious that 'Alice' didn't mention Mettaton at all even given that was the next thing Alice was about to face which made it seem like 'Alice' didn't have her best interests in mind. Or at least until 'Alice' spoke again after giving some time for Alice to think,

"In fact… I believe you are currently residing in Alphys's lab are you not?"

"W-why yes! How did you know?" Alice exclaimed with wide eyes at her correct guess.

"The Cheshire Cat told me. He's very up to date on these things you know." 'Alice's answer though only served to perplex Alice.

"... The Cheshire Cat doesn't exist here though…" Alice objected rather weakly with a subjective answer.

The Cheshire Cat had been a very unique deity in Wonderland, with the power to seemingly be anywhere he wished. He was cheeky, unpredictable, though always up for a chat and did often speak to Alice on a level the other residents of Wonderland could never reach. Naturally though Alice wasn't in Wonderland and yet 'Alice' had said his name casually as if he existed in the Underground. _Unless she's really that far gone to the point of hallucinating,_ Alice thought hesitantly. 'Alice' didn't look discouraged at all by Alice's statement. In fact, she seemed rather glad Alice had pointed that detail out.

"Perhaps not to you. Some go this way, and some go that way. He prefers the shortcut. He would never appear before you normally or as something obvious." 'Alice' replied, pointing in different directions.

"... Wait, then do you mean he's the DETERMINATION? Or at least all those shapes I can make are him in some way?" Alice offered the first theory that came to her head.

"You could say that, though he speaks to me more often than to you. Either way, from where I am at… I'm about to enter a very sacred place. Everyone is dead or on the run, which is why I was rather unexpected to find some Momeraths here." 'Alice' changed the subject unexpectedly and confused Alice further.

First was the fact she said that the Cheshire Cat spoke to 'Alice' more than Alice herself. It sounded a bit more like a description fitting of Chara who had shown capabilities of talking within individuals or towards individuals by appearing and disappearing at will. Second was how she said 'a very sacred place'. Now in England, that would normally refer to a church or a castle or a monument or occasionally a resting place like a graveyard. Given all the clues so far, it seemed reasonable to believe 'Alice' was entering King Asgore's castle, the one Alice had seen with Monster Kid. Finally, Alice had once again used another Wonderland term as if it applied to the Underground as well. By now it was clear 'Alice' was using these terms as metaphors for something she didn't know or understand yet in the Underground. That made Alice's curiosity heighten greatly and lower her initial anger towards 'Alice'.

"Momeraths…? Oh yes, they were from the Tulgey Wood… but what do you mean they were here? Or are you referring to the Temmies? It's rather hard to tell when you speak so… bizarrely." Alice asked as she brushed some hair out of her face.

"... Not quite. I've come to understand the Temmies but these were of a completely different genus. It's not like I know what their names were so I just call them something else. It saves time." 'Alice' shrugged her shoulders as she spoke.

"What did they look like?"

"I won't answer…" 'Alice' stiffened, eyeing Alice with a look of disdain.

"Why not…?" Alice suddenly felt a little angry again.

"It's difficult to care about the dead and asking about deceased killers is were, and in your case are, happy to see us die… I think that's quite a considerable offense in a court in Wonderland. Besides, there is no other way out of the Barrier beyond the usual method. It's ridiculous to think that there might be another way." 'Alice', for the first time since this encounter in the dream occurred, finally sounded much more serious like Alice had remembered her to be.

"But until you've tried every possible direction, there is no telling if there is or isn't another way! I mean what I've learned down here is how the roots of DETERMINATION are based on striving for going that extra mile to find or pacify or help. It means we can't simply lose our nerve no matter how bleak the situation seems and keep trying." Alice defended her beliefs.

"... I would agree with you but there's a little voice in my head that refuses to be quiet and says to deny everything you said. I think you should listen to them." 'Alice' winked at Alice.

Alice heaved a heavy sigh as her suspicions had just been confirmed as well as the fact there was probably nothing more to gain from this.

"... If the truth about all this is that I've merely been talking to Chara this whole time then there's really no purpose to this dream." Alice got up from the bed as she spoke in a resigned tone of voice.

She had no idea how she would end this dream prematurely but perhaps leaving the area would do the trick. However, 'Alice' reacted in a way Alice never expected. She reached under the bed and pulled out a colorful birthday cake with lit candles, frosting, and a plate. It looked just like the one that had been presented to Alice at the Mad Tea Party. 'Alice' also looked very desperate in her expression, as if she was regretting pushing Alice away and wanted to say something.

"W-wait… Alice STOP! AT least if you are going to leave the Unbirthday Party so soon can you listen to my warnings and blow out the candles and make your wish come true?!" 'Alice' pleaded, holding the cake shakily.

Alice decided that she wasn't going to be heartless to another version of herself and that 'Alice' had shown she had a wealth of knowledge about what was going on. If she was to proceed properly in the Underground it was best to listen to someone with more experience. She wasn't all that happy either way about speaking with 'Alice' again but understood that this was the right reason to take.

" I don't really have a choice in the matter do I? Very well, what is it that you have to warn me about…?" Alice put her hands on her hips and gave 'Alice' her attention.

"Well you don't really have to worry about Mettaton… or at least I didn't have to worry about him so much. I took a different path so anything I say has a chance of not applying to you but it's a precaution after all. But… just know that Sans… he doesn't trust you. No matter what's happened he's never trusted you… I don't know why but this is why… I just know he's been taking his time… waiting… waiting to strike you with some twisted revelation or cruel battle. Just like all the others." 'Alice' described in a very quiet voice.

Alice hadn't expected that sort of answer and suddenly looked rather timid. She was rather relieved to know that 'Alice', genocide or not, wasn't worried about Mettaton which meant that even she likely had a chance as a pacifist. This revelation about Sans was another story. Granted Alice didn't know all of what 'Alice' had done opposed to her or what sort of encounters she previously had with Sans but the idea of Sans having such a powerful distrust of Alice to begin with was uncomfortable. _Was my first impression really that bad…?_ She asked herself with slight disbelief. Also the fact that 'Alice' had said 'twisted revelation or cruel battle' meant that it was clear Sans was hiding something from Alice, his sheer combat capabilities and potentially some inside knowledge. Alice recalled that the last big revelation she had gotten from one of these encounters was Toriel describing how the king would be set to kill her in the ruins and Undyne telling more about the history of the Underground and what the monsters had gone through. Those definitely had made Alice question her thoughts at the time so the idea of Sans having something important to reveal to her and possibly doing it in a malicious fashion due to distrusting her made her very disturbed. However...

"I-I know he's suspicious but wouldn't you say you bought his distrust on yourself by killing his own brother? I certainly didn't kill Papyrus and I've even stayed at their house! Aren't you simply-"

Alice had somewhat gotten used to being interrupted but not quite in the manner in which she had been interrupted this time. 'Alice lunged at her but instead of shouting 'clean cup' she grabbed Alice's shoulders and stared at her with a desperate, mad look. 'Alice' pleaded to her in a voice of panic,

"Why would I want to watch myself die before I ever get a chance to return to the surface?! Or break the Barrier?! Let's not be silly Alice! I'm just warning you! I still doubt you are any righter than I am or that I'm any righter than you, but regardless! You must know that things aren't what they seem! Why is a raven like a writing desk?! Is there or is there not another way?! What will break the Barrier once and for all in the end?! You have to answer this world's ultimate riddle yourself Alice!"

"... 'Alice'... alright…" Alice replied softly as she found herself shocked at this heartfelt display of emotion.

Clearly 'Alice' didn't want to see Alice risk her life or die from wherever she resided and was encouraging Alice to take matters into her own hands. It was almost like 'Alice was encouraging Alice to prove her pacifist ways could yield the result she had been seeking by being active. It also seemed to confirm that no matter what, 'Alice' felt that Alice's attitude of not being suspicious of Sans would result in her death and she desperately didn't want that to happen. It made Alice upset that she at this rate she couldn't fully trust Sans like she wanted to or that Papyrus would've wanted her to but at this rate 'Alice' had a point. _If anything's truly going to get done or if I want the answers I need, I'm going to have to be a bit selfish._ Alice reasoned resolutely. Alice then turned to the cake that was lying on 'Alice's bed, clearly placed there right before 'Alice' had lunged towards her. The candles still burnt very gently and the frosting looked lathered with a professional's touch. Alice walked over to the cake gently, 'Alice' releasing Alice to look at her anxiously. Napstablook also looked over towards Alice, wondering what was about to happen. Alice knew though what she wanted to do, and also what she wanted to wish for. However, she was never going to say it, for that would jinx it into not coming true and she ever so wanted it to come true.

"A very merry unbirthday to me." Alice sighed and blew the candles out.

It was at that point that Alice was jolted awake by the sensation of the dream ending and sat up. It seemed that a white blanket now covered her, probably given by Alphys who had stumbled upon her. Alice felt a rush of feelings about not only the ominous warnings of 'Alice' but also a desire to solve more mysteries of the Underground, figure out what Sans was up to her and why he didn't trust her, and of course prove that the 'pacifist' way that Toriel taught her would save her and the Underground in the end. Still Alice was thankful to have not had a nightmarish experience besides that strange former Royal Scientist and the overall implications of what 'Alice' represented. Rested and feeling determined, Alice got up from the bed and dashed towards the down escalators. She knew she had to keep going and not delay herself or the hopes and dreams of the monsters any longer. She made across the hall, passing by another work desk, a bag of dog food, and the fridge and left the Lab on the exit side. The beckoning heat of Hotland hadn't cooled down once and from time to time she noticed a strange pulsating red glow that was jagged and long like a line from her surroundings.

"... Certainly a bit more eerie than the other areas." Alice said to herself.

It was very much like a desert in that regard and it made Alice a bit uncomfortable. She was still curious to see what she could see but she wasn't sure how pleasant this journey would be as opposed to the puzzles of Papyrus as an example. At that moment though she felt a jolt from her pocket, then another, and then a third. As if someone was calling her but without the ringtone. She pulled out her phone and noticed three new 'messages' had been posted regarding Alphys. She read them all carefully and was surprised by their contents. "just realized i didn't watch undyne fight the human v.v well i know she's unbeatable i'll ask her abt it later ^.^ for now i got to call up the human and guide them =^.^="

"... I-is this one of her upgrades?" Alice asked as she looked at the unusual use of characters in these messages with doubt and slight amusement.

She could gather though that Alphys was curious about her friend Undyne and how the match went and also how she intended to call Alice and help her through the Hotland. Alice smiled at the Royal Scientist vocally stating she would keep her promise and with that motivation, she truly began to enter Hotland.

To Be Continued...


	21. It's getting Hotland in here

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 20 It's getting Hotland in here

When Alice finally made her entrance into an area of Hotland she was surprised to see that the ground seemed to be attached to piping. This piping served as a sort of pedestal for Alice to walk along and also led to something Alice hadn't seen before.

"The path is moving…?" She asked aloud.

Indeed, a strange grey, rubbery sort of path seemed to be constantly in motion right in front of her. The left path moved upward while the right path moved downward. The question remained though how on earth was this possible? Would it lead her the correct way or would it potentially lead somewhere else? How was Alice supposed to properly navigate a path that was constantly in motion? It was as precarious to one's balance as stepping onto the ice in Snowdin Forest. _It's not like there's anywhere else I can go though,_ Alice reminded herself. It was becoming almost obnoxious to even herself how much she had to state the obvious to herself. She figured it was a coping mechanism at this point but it wasn't like she should be scared of something she had no other choice but to try. Alice placed one foot upon the rubbery path and instantly found herself tugged forward by the motion of the path.

"Eee…! Oof!" Alice, unprepared for how sudden and fast it pulled her, lost her footing and fell onto her rump.

The path carried her over to the other side, on a patch of ground which gave Alice enough time to regain her footing. A little miffed though at the accident, Alice was surprised to hear her phone chirp with a text's arrival. It read 'gonna call them in a minute! =^.^=' Alice was confused as to why she'd be texting her such a message and use 'them' instead of 'you'. Then on second thought, she noticed the message seemed to be an update to Alphys's status, as if she was chronicling this in a diary of sorts. It wasn't nearly as absurd as Alice's habit of talking to herself so the little girl knew she had to concede with this fact. What she didn't realize was that something was approaching her very quickly. It was a very unusual but also somewhat charming and cute creature called 'Vulkin'. It looked like a miniature volcano with some lava dripping from the top like an overfilled glass of water, four small legs, a particularly sleepy expression that also had prominent blush, and smoke puffs emerging from its top in sequence. For some reason, upon checking it further, Alice saw it had 8 HP, -10 ATK and a blank DG stat. It mistakenly believed that its lava could heal people which made Alice feel a twinge of sympathy for it.

"Speed will help dodge!" Vulkin cried in a voice that sounded diminutive but sweet.

A small cloud with a face strikingly similar to Alphys's face text appeared above Alice and shot out miniature bolts of lightning in a shower. Despite not having had to face a monster in some time since Undyne, Alice's knowledge of dodging quick came back to her and she was able to dodge each bolt with surprisingly graceful motions. For some reason it smelled like a lava lamp even though Alice had no idea what that meant at all. Alice wasn't sure which way to go with Vulkin though he had given some practical good advice so she opened with a compliment,

"You're doing a great job giving support and healing people."

"Ahh! Ahh! Does my best!" Vulkin replied with incorrect grammar and also unusual moans.

To Alice's dismay, walls of lava appeared to either side of her, blocking her in, with a flurry of strange flames flying in a boomerang-motion. Alice found herself struck by one of the projectiles and cringed heavily. It felt just like Toriel's flames, not as intense but still hot and a bit painful. It didn't leave any telling burns or marks but the sensation of pain couldn't be ignored. _My compliment made its attacks more extreme,_ Alice realized. Fortunately, as Vulkin paraded around proudly, Alice sensed she could spare it now which she did with positive results. As she headed to the next series of moving paths, she noticed blue flames would light up in the darkness away from where she was momentarily. They were quite ethereal but not quite as beautiful as the things she found in Waterfall. As for the next moving path, Alice tried a different stance with her legs fairly wide and her arms out for balance. It worked especially well when this moving path proved to have turns and different directions at which it moved and made the little girl wonder how they were constructed. She then found a straight bridge made of piping that was extremely curious and a bit unnerving to cross. There were no gaps but the slight curve of the pipes made Alice very worried about stumbling and falling off the pipe bridge into the dark abyss below. So she chose her footing and steps carefully and eventually crossed quite safely.

"Wow… i-is that supposed to be fire…?" Alice exclaimed when she noticed something unusual in the next area.

An intense, fiery red glow from the abyss popped in and out of the blackness beyond the path and there were puffs of steam and a powerful whooshing sound that echoed in her ear, as well as the sound of the cogs of clockwork. It filled Alice with DETERMINATION but also seemed to imply a very intense atmosphere. Alice looked to her right and noticed there were two paths leading forward and left. However the forward path appeared to have some sort of square with an arrow marking on it, surrounding by piping, with steam puffing out of it in spurts. It appeared to be some sort of invention and it did make Alice curious about what it did but then something more distressing revealed itself as Alice analyzed the scene. The left path had a dead end, only leading into a big drop downward into some lava while the right path also appeared to have a dead end with this arrow square. Before Alice could remark aloud in sheer puzzlement, her phone chirped again. 'I HATE USING THE PHONE I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS LMAO ^.^'

"I take it she's holding herself back from making that call…" Alice sighed as she wondered what she was to do about this.

Realistically, going back the way she came seemed the more reasonable option as she had no intention of risking a leap across and potentially fall to her death. The arrow square was the only thing that Alice could try if she wasn't keen on going back the way she came but there was no telling what it would do. Before Alice could come to a sheer decision, something got directly in her way, not on purpose or anything. It looked like a small metal glider or perhaps a 'plane' as she had heard mentioned in certain discussions about new developments. It was long, streamlined, with numerous small windows, and was wearing a charming bonnet with a ribbon on it. The idea of something metal wearing clothes in such a casual way seemed more absurd than her increasingly old-fashioned rabbits wearing clothes idea. It was called Tsunderplane and left Alice perplexed on how it was supposed to properly be pronounced. Tsunderplane seems mean, but does it secretly like you?

"Wait… how can you like someone you just met? You haven't even formally introduced yourself to me." Alice stammered, dumbfounded.

"You're telling me! No way! Why would I like YOU" The clearly female creature reacted harshly.

Small flying planes seemed to hover over Alice, dropping bombs that exploded with decisive range and impact. Alice was able to dodge this arsenal of attacks with less difficulty than the surprising manuevers of Vulkin. However, Alice found that Tsunderplane accidentally bumped her with its wing, causing Alice to rub her arm.

"You should really be more careful you know." Alice scolded, approaching Tsunderplane closely but not too closely.

"Eeeeh? H-human…?" Tsunderplane suddenly spoke in a flustered fashion and seemed shaken.

Alice noticed plane projectiles heading toward her with great frequency yet there was something else about them. They were surrounded by some unusual green energy that seemed to be of the same category as BLUE attacks. As the green energy passed Alice by, it soothed her and she felt some of her weariness go away. _Oh it must be some sort of healing energy,_ Alice thought with a smile. With each healing pass through the energy, she noticed Tsunderplane blushed much more heavily, flattered it seemed. It tried to shake its nose dismissively at Alice but Alice could tell it was ready to be spared. After sparing the flying female, Alice decided not to waste any more time and stepped onto the arrow. To her astonishment, she suddenly felt a sudden burst of air envelop her from underneath her feet.

"W-whaaaaat is thissssssss….!" Alice shrieked as she found herself flung forward and into the air.

Her skirt and apron lifted up as well, revealing Alice's undergarments to the world and causing her to reactively hold her skirt and apron down. She was a bit embarrassed at this incident though she found this embarrassment short-lived as she crashed onto another mound of land with another arrow-square pointing upward.

"Oww… w-well at least I seem to have found the Hotland's means of transportation." She grumbled as she got up and dusted her skirt and legs off.

Alice realized that these squares would sink when she stepped on them and release powerful wafts of air that propelled Alice towards the direction the arrow was pointing towards. It seemed dangerous as a concept but it seemed whoever developed these mastered the balance between direction, air speed, and timing to make it a usable form of moving from place to place. _Even if it seems completely unnecessary,_ Alice thought as she remembered the much more straightforward bridges of past locations. She found that up ahead there were two arrow squares pointing to a left mound of land and a right mound of land that Alice could see from where she was standing. It was hard to determine which way was the right way so Alice took her chances and decided to head towards the right mound of land. Now a bit more prepared, she was less rattled by the sensation of being lifted into the air though still felt the need to hold her skirt down to protect her modesty and dignity. Eventually, by following the right side and the arrow squares, she came across what appeared to be a small puzzle. The arrow on the square was changing directions every second between left and right with moving paths ensuring Alice couldn't just cross from one to the other. Alice saw that there was a lone frying pan on the left side of this area. Now Alice knew frying pans were solely meant for cooking but she had heard of them being useful as makeshift weapons in several tales or scenarios throughout history and stories she had read. Wielding one could come in handy as a self-defense sort of tool, Alice told herself. Smiling and agreeing with this, she used the arrow-square to move to the left side and collected her pan before returning to the previous area through the moving path. Returning back to the first crossroads of arrow-squares, Alice was about to take the left side but she got another Alphys update. 'omg i've had my claw over the last digit for 5 minutes omg i'm just gonna do it i'm just gonna call!'

"Dr. Alphys is more indecisive than I thought… though I agree that these phone conversations are a tad bit informal." Alice reasoned with herself.

Just as Alice took the left arrow-square and spotted a new path that she could take, her phone rang. Alice knew this had to have been Alphys but just as she was about to answer it, it clicked off instantly. They had hung up prior to Alice trying to answer back. Alice frowned slightly and moved into the new area where she discovered another path made of pipes and…

"W-what is that beam...?" Alice gasped with some fear.

She saw that there was some sort of floating mechanic shell or perhaps bell emitting what appeared to be a bright orange ray of light directly across the path. There was something off-putting about this though, as though it was some kind of obstacle in Alice's way. She didn't recognize what it was at all and if anything the orange color reminded her of fire and other dangerous elements. Luckily her phone rang again and she was only glad to answer it.

"Uhh! H-hi, so, the blue lasers… Uhh! I mean Alphys here! Hi! The blue lasers won't hurt you if you don't move! O-orange ones, um… Y-you have to be moving, and they… Um, they won't, um… Move through those ones!" Alphys explained.

Upon mention of the blue lasers, Alice looked on ahead to see a mix of blue and orange lasers, the blue ones seemed to move from side to side at a fixed rate and distance. It seemed that Alphys knew of these and her advice did sound as though it had evidence to greatly support it. Also the idea of 'lasers' itself sounded a bit complex but she wondered if it was along the lines of a bullet from a gun in that it was a focused projectile. She would have to be very careful to fulfill these conditions.

"I see… so it's much like the attacks from before. Thank you Dr. Alphys." Alice expressed her gratitude calmly.

"... Uh, bye…" Alphys shyly signed off.

Almost instantly afterward, Alice's phone announced another status update. 'OMG I DID IT! claws haven't shook like that since undyne called me to ask about the weather… v.v' _I wonder what would've happened if I answered 'Undyne' in that question Mettaton asked,_ Alice wondered as she picked up on how both female monsters mentioned the other quite fondly. Either way, there was no time to lose. Alice carefully but with enough movement crossed through the orange lasers and sure enough, she felt no ill effects. Perhaps a strange sensation of passing through something along the lines of a wind tunnel but nothing else. She had crossed two of the orange lasers before receiving yet another update. Alice slightly frowned, noticing how frequent these updates were becoming and wishing she wasn't being interrupted like this all the time. 'WAIT THERE'S NO WEATHER DOWN HERE WHY DID SHE CALL ME'

"There's no weather…? But then how is there rain and snow…?" Alice asked as she suddenly realized Alphys was right.

Granted in Waterfall it was plausible that the rain was perhaps an upper waterfall dripping downwards in a rain-like manner and that the overall temperature of the Snowdin area was cold enough to permit snow and that Alice hadn't seen actual snowfall over there herself. Though there was that strange mist that appeared when she encountered Papyrus on the road to Waterfall…

"I-it's unimportant. I might as well proceed with what's truly important." Alice waved her hand dismissively as she gave herself more sensible advice.

The first blue laser was right in front of Alice and so measuring the time it took to move across, Alice stopped carefully in place for the blue laser to pass over her in the direction she was coming from. Then she used the time given to hurry through the orange laser and then get into proper position for the second blue laser. The same solution repeated once more until she had to carefully position herself in consideration of two blue lasers. As soon as she crossed the final orange laser, Alice knew she was in the clear. She sighed a breath of relief and wiped some sweat from her forehead with her arm. That's when she noticed a convenient looking switch attached to a long, layered metal contraption. Pressing it made the lasers disappear and so Alice could easily move across the same path without needing to worry about said lasers. Alice proceeded into the next area with improved confidence… or at least improved until she got another status update. 'Oh My God i Forgot to Tell THem Where To Go' _There's only one direction I can go,_ Alice thought as she put a hand to her hip. Even more off-putting was another update right afterward. This time though it featured a picture of something rather cute. It was a photo of a garbage can with several pink, glittery filters over it.' It was charming but about as trivial as a book with no pictures in it. Oddly enough, Alice herself didn't even know what a 'filter' was but somehow instinctively used it. The caption read 'CUte PIC OF ME RIGHT NOW ^.^' With a delayed shrug of her shoulders, Alice turned left along with the path that was back to being of dirt but was lined with pipes like a railing. That's when she saw another sort of crossroads with three new mounds of land and four overall arrow squares that shifted in all directions every second.

"Goodness… it's as if Hotland is intent on having me leap around like a frog." Alice exclaimed.

A phone call luckily made Alice realize Alphys was about to assist her again.

"A-A-Alphys here! Th… the northern door will stay locked until you… S-solve the puzzles on the right and left! I… I think you sh-should go to the right first!" Alphys advised.

"The right first… is there a specific order to these puzzles?" Alice asked.

"I-it's the easiest one to start with… um… yeah…" Alphys murmured before hanging up again.

Alice was a bit eager to challenge some new problems so she quickly head over to the right side first. When she got there, she spotted three curious things. Two of them were new monsters it seemed, sitting down on the edge of land with their legs hung out. One was a green oxen with shades, a blue suit and tie, white shirt, and black shoes. The other was a black flame like Grillby in a pink, sleeveless and rather revealing top with green pants, no shoes, sunglasses, and was carrying a warm drink. They both appeared to be monsters of an adult age and so Alice spoke to them politely,

"Good afternoon. What are you doing here?"

"The way to work is blocked, so I had time to catch Mettaton's show on phone… The special effects were amazing today! That human almost looked REAL!" The ox said.

"I believe that is because I am most certainly real. I am that human, Alice." Alice introduced herself.

Both monsters turned to her with increased interest and even some small smiles.

"Wow! You're really lucky to be on the show with the most popular star in the Underground! His fan club probably has at least two… no, THREE dozen members!" Said the flame.

"Fan Club? That sounds like him to have one indeed though I don't think I'm going to like this experience that much…" Alice confessed.

"Lighten up, it'll be exhilarating and maybe you'll become famous yourself and get some fans of your own." The ox monster pointed out.

Alice thought it absurd, the idea of her having any fans. She was certainly not a vain person and there wasn't anything too astonishing about her that would garner her fans. Wonderland itself wasn't real at the moment and she was too young to have any sort of career so she just didn't find it possible for her to have fans at the moment. _Unless of course you count Papyrus or Alphys as a fan,_ Alice offered to herself, _as they do seem very fond and supportive of me._ Alice also appreciated these monsters opening up to her and giving her some advice and information on Mettaton. It made her feel that the monsters really weren't as brutal or instinctively prone to dark measures as Chara implied. At that moment though, Alice heard another update, leading her to check it awkwardly. 'wonder if it would be unfun if i explained the puzzle' It was true that the puzzles were best left unexplained for the most part if there was to be a fair challenge. That was when Alice took notice of the third thing, a chamber of curious architecture with an 'arrow' insignia carved over the door.

"The puzzle in question must be in here." Alice said as she entered.

Inside the chamber was something rather unusual to Alice. There was a square with smaller squares within, a 3x3 grid though two squares were black with the other four being white and the middle row was left empty. A white note was stuck to what looked like a small wall with a strange set of controls in front and there was an orange cat with shades off to the corner of the room. If this was a puzzle, the way it functioned was quite unclear to Alice. Alice first went to the note as it seemed like the most likely to instruct her on the basics. 'Shoot the opposing ship! Move the boxes to complete your mission.' Alice observed closely and did spot two 'ships' shaped like arrows, one on her side and the other one being across from the grid. _So I have to somehow hit that ship to solve the puzzle…_ Alice found this was much less intellectual than she had hoped. Alice next tried talking to the cat.

"The door leading through the area is closed? So I tried the puzzle? But I kept running out of ammo, and it kept restarting? And my two co-workers won't help? It's like they don't wanna go to work?" He rambled on and seemed annoyed.

"Sorry to hear that… I'll see if I can solve this puzzle for you." Alice spoke up with sympathy, realizing the two men outside were the co-workers and not quite as invested towards their work.

Alice clutched the controls and saw she had two bits of ammo that appeared to be like upside down pins and that one of the squares moved, namely the one from the bottom. It zigged and zagged until it had moved to the first column, leaving only one square in the middle column. Alice quickly realized that with her two ammo, she could strike that square down and make an opening to hit the 'ship'. Clicking down, two yellow-reddish projectiles propelled forth from Alice's 'ship' and obliterated the square and the enemy 'ship'. The disappearance of the other black square, a blue 'Congratulations' and a jingle indicated Alice indeed succeeded at this puzzle.

"Well isn't that nifty! I did it!" Alice exclaimed with a smile.

"Wow? You solved it? I'm impressed? You must be a total nerd?" The cat stammered with genuine surprise.

"I wouldn't say I am so much a nerd as I would say I am a curious little girl… and that I sincerely enjoy doing puzzles." Alice remarked humbly and she departed from the chamber.

Leaving the right side, she now attempted to tackle the left side of the crossroads as that would be the last one to unlock the door in the north. There she found there was a blue laser completely cutting off Alice from the chamber and two new monsters. Both of them seemed to be schoolgirls based on their uniforms but one was a green flame and the other was a purple creature with long locks, a red ribbon and an autumn orange skateboard. Alice's phone rang before Alice could begin trying to find ways to get past the laser.

"Alphys! Here! Th-that blue laser seems totally impassable! B-b-but! As the Royal Scientist, I h-have some tricks up my sleeve! I'll h-hack into th-the Hotland laser database and take it out!" Alphys spoke much more confidently than she had started off as.

A moment after the phone call was ended, the blue laser was shut off. Alice however was starting to wonder about something. Wouldn't it have been much more simple for Alphys to deactivate that laser in the first place? Especially if one considered that it had blocked off two monsters from trying to leave the chamber area towards the crossroads. It seemed awfully inconvenient and random to have a laser to potentially guard what was only a puzzle and not something valuable. Not to mention that Alphys seemed to be speaking and calling in a rehearsed manner, as if she knew Alice would have instantly noticed that blue laser and could nobly declare how she could shut it off to appeal to her.

"It's certainly a strange form of stroking my ego… and for what purpose?" Alice asked aloud, folding her arms as she approached the two monsters to get their side of the story.

"Finally! Someone turned off that laser! Now that we're free we can… Well, uh, I guess we'll just keep standing here." The green flame confessed.

"You have to go to school still. It's important to be educated." Alice spoke with a frown.

"I-I know… but I bet our teachers are gonna be so mad at us…"

"We were handing out when suddenly, a bunch of puzzles reactivated out of nowhere. This is a HUGE problem… It rules! They've GOTTA cancel school over this!" The purple monster explained.

"They would only cancel school in this case if the puzzles were within the school. Where is this school anyway?"

"It's not far from here but it's kind of out of the way from the path… and man, I wish they could cancel it… I don't like being behind."

 _I wonder if Mettaton was the one who reactivated the puzzles then,_ Alice pondered. This story seemed to explain why Alphys might not have found out about the laser until Alice had noticed even though it did seem she was familiar with the northern door being locked before this discovery was made. After all, if the puzzles had been reactivated that would include this laser, and yet Alphys knew the puzzles needed to be solved to unlock the door. _There's definitely some inconsistency here,_ Alice concluded. Continuing into the puzzle chamber, Alice noticed the difficulty seemed to have increased with a 4x4 grid, 5 awkwardly laid out white squares, and 6 black squares wrapped around the middle. Turning on the controls, Alice found her ammo hadn't increased or decreased and that the black boxes moved once more to and fro. It was strangely graceful how they moved, much like a synchronized swimming or dancing team. Waiting patiently, she found an opportunity where she could use her ammo to penetrate a box and get straight to the 'ship'. Taking advantage of it sealed the deal and Alice completed the puzzle. Now all that was left was the northern door. Retracing her steps, Alice found herself face to face with the northern door. It was made of granite and had a green, glowing insignia. The doors pulled away, sinking into the walls and opening a new pathway for Alice.

"Strange sort of locking mechanism…" Alice said as she crossed into the new path.

Noticing how similar it looked to previous areas, Alice pondered if Hotland was mostly constructed or was more natural like Snowdin was. There was all this machinery and technological developments but based on the lack of bridges and the lava and the raised earth, it seemed like there was a balance between this development. However, another update soon emitted from Alice's phone. 'whatever! i'll just explain it!' _She really is a bit late on these isn't she?_ Alice asked herself with growing exasperation. She didn't even bother moving forward as she knew she was about to be interrupted by yet another phone call.

"Uuuh, I think… Umm… Hey! About the puzzles on the left and right…! They're a bit difficult to explain, but-"

"Dr. Alphys, I already have solved them on my own. They even had notes provided to explain how to solve said puzzles." Alice clarified with slight frustration.

"... Awesome! I'll just be signing off…." Alphys recovered as best she could and then hung up.

Alice sighed and got onto an arrow square pointing to the right. To her amazement, it propelled her to another arrow square, and then another until she finally reached a very unusual floor. It was blue with lime green polka-dots and seemed to be of a glassy texture. It wasn't at all natural so Alice suddenly had a bad feeling about where this path would take her. She didn't even see anything up ahead, just pure darkness. Compared to the sensation of being hunted down by Undyne's, there was something more unpredictable about this experience of being hunted by Mettaton. There was still an element of surprise but Mettaton's sheer wackiness and desire to entertain and appeal to viewers meant he might do more extremes than Undyne did. The one reassuring quality was that Mettaton wasn't directly intent on harming her in the meantime so Alice could walk along without fearing a sudden spear being flung in her direction. With this comparison made, Alice kept going into the darkness.

"Jiminy… I can't see anything…" Alice remarked with displeasure.

At that moment her phone rang which at this point was much more welcome.

"H-hey, it's kind of dark in there, isn't it?" Alphys asked meekly.

"Yes… is it possible to illuminate the area Alphys?" Alice asked as she decided moving too much was risky. Especially given there were turns and lava and ledges in the previous areas of Hotland.

"Y-yes, I'll hack into the light system and brighten it up!" Alphys answered brightly.

Speaking of bright, right after this declaration, the entire area was illuminated. However… there was something not quite right with the area. Alice noticed she was in what looked like a kitchen of someone's house, with various counters, cupboards, and cabinets possessing cooking utensils with other appliances like a refrigerator standing around. Looking closely in the background, Alice saw a green railing of sorts hanging overhead. It looked like a set piece more than an actual kitchen as there was no way anyone would place a kitchen outside their home and in such a hot place like Hotland. Alice gulped nervously and lowered the phone into her pockets just as Alphys uttered weakly,

"Oh no."

Alice knew instinctively that this might be some sort of cooking affair but she was worried about what was to be cooked. Before she could contemplate what was on the menu, Mettaton emerged from the counter, now wearing a toque and still carrying around a microphone. Alice flinched upon seeing him and tried to subtly make sure she was as far away from him as possible.

"OHHHH YES! WELCOME, BEAUTIES, TO THE UNDERGROUND'S PREMIER COOKING SHOW!" Mettaton announced excitedly.

To Alice's amazement, an animated logo magically appeared before them with accompanying sparkles and a fanciful pink font. 'Cooking with a Killer Robot.'

"... A-at least you're self-aware…" Alice complimented flatly and gulped again.

Alice though had to wonder if this cooking show was where Papyrus learned how to make his… unique spaghetti or at least was the inspiration for pursuing cooking. It would be reassuring to know if Papyrus was watching her right now but also a bit more distressing for if something happened to her directly, he would see it and blame himself for not being there to stop it. Without any real knowledge of Mettaton's habits though, Alice had to wait and see what it was that Mettaton intended on doing. He pointed to the camera excitedly with another loud bellow of energy,

"PRE-HEAT YOUR OVENS, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A VERY SPECIAL RECIPE FOR YOU TODAY! WE'RE GOING TO BE MAKING… A CAKE!"

"A cake…? That sounds very reasonable indeed." Alice admitted, always appreciative of fine desserts.

"MY LOVELY ASSISTANT HERE WILL GATHER THE INGREDIENTS. EVERYONE GIVE THEM A BIG HAND!" Mettaton clapped as he finished speaking.

Alice was miffed that Mettaton was forcing her to work for him even when he was intent on killing her though the cheerful applause and the sudden descent of colorful confetti lightened the mood a bit. There was also the fact it'd be foolish to try lashing out in front of T.V or when Mettaton held all the cards in his hands.

"WE'LL NEED SUGAR, MILK, AND EGGS. GO FOR IT, SWEETHEART!" Mettaton commanded.

"Goodness, I suppose I'll be taking orders from Dinah next." Alice pondered to herself as she headed for the counters in the back.

Fortunately for Alice, all three ingredients were neatly placed on the counter and easy to carry. She placed all three ingredients onto the main counter Mettaton was going to use for the show. Milk, sugar, and eggs were ready to be used. Mettaton appeared delighted and satisfied at Alice's simple achievement.

"PERFECT! GREAT JOB, BEAUTIFUL! WE'VE GOT ALL THE INGREDIENTS WE NEED TO BAKE A CAKE! MILK… SUGAR… EGGS… OH MY! WAIT A MAGNIFICENT MOMENT! HOW COULD I FORGET! WE'RE MISSING THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT!" Mettaton exclaimed with a dramatic placement of his hands to his head.

"The most important ingredient… well I suppose if we're making a fruit cake we are missing some delectable fruits… do we also have frosting?" Alice offered as she put a finger to her chin in thought as she carefully looked over all that was on the counter.

It didn't seem they were missing any utensils and everything was in order. It seemed odd as well for Mettaton to be unprepared for a live performance of his cooking show. So what was the missing ingredient? As Alice was about to try looking back towards the counters she suddenly noticed Mettaton wielding something far bigger than any cooking tool in his arms. It was orange, mechanical in nature, and a long, thick silver part that seemed lined with spikes. Something about the device was incredibly unsettling as it looked like some sort of modernized club from ancient times. It didn't help that Mettaton said with a much less family-friendly voice,

"A HUMAN SOUL!"

Mettaton then begin flashing red and yellow, and the strange tool in his arms roared with an alarming sound and silver part began to shake and move in a circular motion. It appeared that whatever it was, it was a weapon designed to slay Alice. Alice shuddered and considered making a break for it but then she remembered she had collected something she could use to defend herself.

"J-just a moment there! Even I know well enough that a good cake doesn't have any body parts within it!" Alice shouted her best comeback as she pulled out her frying pan and slammed it against Mettaton's hand grasping the weapon.

"YOWWWW!" Mettaton cringed and stopped momentarily in place but it didn't seem to dissuade him from loosening his grip on the weapon and it was still armed and dangerous. Either way, Alice recognized this bought her enough time to make her escape… or she would've until a phone that wasn't Alice's rang. When Mettaton made a motion of confusion to answer it, Alice felt a sense of relief.

"HELLO…? I'M KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING HERE." The killer robot grumbled.

"W-wait a second! Couldn't you make a… Couldn't you use a… Couldn't you make a substitution in the recipe!?" Alphys struggled to word it but eventually unveiled her idea.

"... A SUBSTITUTION? YOU MEAN USE A DIFFERENT, NON-HUMAN INGREDIENT? … WHY?"

"Uh, what if someone's….. Vegan?" Alphys was absolutely brilliant in her reply.

"Y-yes…! It wouldn't be suitable to include a unnatural ingredient in a cake, particularly one harvested from a living being, if we want this recipe to be available to all tastes.." Alice added informatively, trying to play up to the camera to further influence Mettaton.

"THAT'S A BRILLIANT IDEA, ALPHYS! AND MY GORGEOUS ASSISTANT! ACTUALLY, I HAPPEN TO HAVE AN OPTION RIGHT HERE! MTT-BRAND ALWAYS-CONVENIENT HUMAN-SOUL-FLAVOR SUBSTITUTE! A CAN OF WHICH… IS JUST OVER ON THAT COUNTER!" Mettaton exclaimed and pointed off to the right.

Alice looked and indeed spotted a small counter with a single red can placed on it. Alice though found it interesting that the monsters had developed something that was akin to an actual human soul. Fake or not, it made Alice realize they may very well have been developing things that could mimic souls and potentially serve as a model towards finding other ways to break the barrier. Mettaton didn't seem like the best character to inquire about this so Alice tabled this level of reasoning for now. Mettaton also made his strange weapon disappear and a microphone was in its place instead.

"WELL, DARLING? WHY DON'T YOU GO GET IT?" Mettaton said with a slightly condescending tone.

"Humph… very well then 'Killer Robot'." Alice lashed out a bit as she stomped over to the counter in question.

Alice put away her trusty frying pan and scoffed. Mettaton had definitely been an irksome presence and didn't have the same values and passion as Undyne had. In fact he seemed to be mocking her, forcing her to fetch a canned ingredient for his own entertainment affairs. As Alice approached it though, it suddenly sank and lowered to the floor at level with Alice's feet. Alice looked confused and reached out to grab it when it suddenly shifted and shook and then… elongated magnificently into the air like a beanstalk. It grew to unimaginable heights and Alice couldn't even see the can anymore. Mettaton's wheel squeaked along the strange flooring as he approached a dumbfounded Alice.

"BY THE WAY, OUR SHOW RUNS ON A STRICT SCHEDULE. IF YOU CAN'T GET THE CAN IN THE NEXT ONE MINUTE… WE'LL JUST HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN!"

"Are you absolutely insane?! This isn't even a remotely fair puzzle! I have no means to get up there and it's far too low a time limit. If you insist on harvesting my soul why not just jump straight to the point?" Alice asked with furious hand motions and tone.

"WELL… WE ARE ON AIR AND I CAN'T EXACTLY BRUTE FORCE… IT'S SOOOO BENEATH ME! SO… BETTER START CLIMBING, BEAUTIFUL!" Mettaton announced before he mysteriously flew up towards the top of the counter tower.

Alice folded her arms and frowned as she peered up towards the top. _At this rate I might as well make a break for it,_ she thought with a huff. Before she could consider the great escape, her phone rang an umpteenth time.

"Oh no! There's not enough time to climb up!"

"I know… and thank you for trying Dr. Alphys but at this point we should perhaps consider evading Mettaton for now…" Alice suggested quietly.

"H-he's too fast… he'll catch you and not go easy on you… F-f-fortunately I might have a plan! When I was upgrading your phone, I added a few… features. You see that huge button that says… "JETPACK?" Alphys pointed something that Alice hadn't noticed before out to her.

Alice indeed saw the said button but looked at it with confusion. She had never even heard of a jetpack before.

"W-what's a jetpack?" Alice asked.

"Push it and watch!"

"If you say so…" Alice pushed the button.

The phone floated up into the air in front of Alice, standing still as if hung onto a Christmas Tree. Then it suddenly seemed to duplicate itself and was attached to one another with a certain motor of sorts. It then clasped and fastened itself around Alice like a backpack, rather tightly as well. Alice felt a great uneasiness overcome her as she touched and examined this 'jetpack'.

"Uh… I don't know about this Dr. Alphys… OH!" Alice gasped as she suddenly felt a charge of it turn on and there were two flames sprouting from beneath the motor.

"There! You should have just enough fuel to reach the top!" Alphys said

"A-are you saying that this jetpack will make me… f-fly…? But that's impossible! I mean it's so small and just the idea of flight is-"

"Now, get up there!"

"Just a mommmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkk!" Alice screeched as her feet were lifted off the ground and she found herself hurtling upwards like some sort of geyser.

It reminded Alice of the ascending sensation when she ate the growing mushroom except it was more severe and there was a strong gust in the air. Alice felt her clothes and hair fluttering downwards and a slight uncomfortable shaking. It was incredible but also incredibly terrifying. It was like she was never going to stop rising into the air and furthermore everything looked so small from down below. _I hope this is a one-time thing only,_ Alice thought in a panic. Forgetting about her current goal, she began to scream,

"Put me down, put me doooooooownnn! I'm not a serpenttttttttttttttt….! Somebody heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllppppppppppppp!"

At that moment though, she suddenly spotted Mettaton flying overhead, seemingly shocked to see Alice in the air. He then pulled out an egg carton and seemed to be trying to drop the eggs onto Alice. Alice gasped and barely was able to maneuver herself to dodge them all, finding herself only more panicked whenever she moved. It was quickly followed by piles of sugar and drops of milk. Before the cycle repeated.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Please stooooooooooooooppp-oof!" Alice, now crying tears of fear before she was walloped by an egg.

Alice cringed as she took the yolk and shells out of her hair and flung them downwards in disgust. It did help to remind her what she was after though and that she needed to reach that can within the minute. As high as this tower was, Alice's ascent was astonishingly fast and she soon found herself nearing the peak where the can was held. Going at it with more determination and dodging the rest of the food-based projectiles sent by Mettaton, she miraculously found herself straight at the top. The can stood there innocently and unaware of the fate it had decided.

"MY, MY. IT SEEMS YOU'VE BESTED ME. BUT ONLY BECAUSE YOU HAD THE THE HELP OF THE BRILLIANT DOCTOR ALPHYS! OH, I LOATHE TO THINK OF WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU WITHOUT HER! WELL, TOODLES!" Mettaton taunted before floating away.

"Well I imagine you'd be much lazy about getting my soul!" Alice growled angrily.

Shockingly, Mettaton returned back, causing Alice to cower slightly.

"OH, YES… ABOUT THE SUBSTITUTION… HAVEN'T YOU EVER SEEN A COOKING SHOW BEFORE? I ALREADY BAKED THE CAKE AHEAD OF TIME! SO FORGET IT!" He bellowed before leaving for good.

Alice found herself descending downwards, but at a pace much similar to that when she had fallen down the rabbit hole. As soon as she landed to the ground, the Jetpack unhooked and reverted back to a phone and Alice put her hands and knees on the ground. Embarrassingly, she was very tempted to kiss the ground at the relief of returning to the floor. Her phone rang again and Alice answered it and spoke out first,

"That was completely out of this world! I could've fallen to my death had anything gone wrong!"

"Oh… s-sorry… I forget you don't know too much about some of t-these inventions.. But you adapted well… and we did it! We… we really did it! Great job out there, team! W-well, uh, anyway let's keep heading forward!"

"Do you have to announce it so publicly though… I mean it's just between the two of us and I'm sure Mettaton's cameras have shifted focus." Alice questioned why Alphys was sounding so… overexcited.

Alice didn't mean to be ungrateful but it seemed timed too well, even from the Royal Scientist's jubilant tone sounding like it was playing to the cameras of some show. If Alice was to tell a story to kids, she'd also emphasize a lot of the happy or triumphant moments to the kids to get a positive reaction out of them. This is precisely what it felt like and considering the 'kill or be killed' nature of this world (Or at least that the monsters were fundamentally after her soul) it seemed like a red herring. Alphys appeared to go quiet which made Alice feel slightly bad about her honest analysis. Eventually though, she spoke again,

"I-I… just felt we outsmarted Mettaton t-together… and that the odds were against us but we can still survive.."

"That's certainly true… I'm sorry, I'm just still shaken up about flying like some sort of friendly, how-to-do bird." Alice confessed.

"I-it's ok… we better keep moving…" Alphys murmured and the phone call ended.

Upon entering the next area, Alice found that there was a magnificent building over in the distance. At least the scale of it was magnificent though as upon closer inspection, Alice noticed some distressing shapes and an ominous intensity coming from it. It looked much different from Asgore's Castle in the distance in that it was brambled, severe, less stoic, and of a dark tone. It filled Alice with determination but it also made her uneasy. It was like a startling reminder of Alice being in a totally different time when fairy tale castles were more relevant as the height of architecture. Alice wasn't sure what the building was though when a phone call rang again. _I wonder if I should establish a limit on how often she calls me,_ Alice grumbled in her head before she answered.

"S-see that building in the distance? That's the CORE. The source of all power for the underground. It converts geothermal energy into magical electricity, by… Uhh, anyway, that's where we are going to go. In the CORE is an elevator directly towards ASGORE'S castle."

"Why would the king have an elevator down to the core? Does he have to replenish it with magic?" Alice asked curious though looked at the building with a depressed glance.

It definitely was a reminder of how times had changed for Alice and also felt like a destination where something big would happen. Alice found it interesting to hear though that within the CORE was such a method to get to the king. Normally to get to a castle you'd have to get in through the gates or a drawbridge guarded by knights yet this seemed like a much more casual if secret way into the castle. _It doesn't sound like such a serious ruler to make such an easily understood oversight,_ Alice thought, _unless he didn't count on his Royal Scientist supporting me and is meant to be a secret._ Alphys's reply was a bit vague,

"Well… he does check up on it but usually he stays t-to his throne room… from there though, you can go home… I hope the b-best for you…"

"... I hope the best for all the Underground. I want all of us to go home." Alice spoke to herself as soon as Alphys had hung up. She had no intentions of returning home alone yet, she was DETERMINED to cover every factor in reaching the surface again.

To Be Continued….


	22. So Sorry Bout It

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 21 So Sorry Bout It

After the previous discussion with Alphys, Alice kept along the path, peering at the CORE one last time before she found yet another strange object. Or at least it seemed to be a strange object at first for it was tall, silver, streamlined with lights that glowed between, red, orange, maroon, yellow, and plum. A sign entitled "R1" was also glowing in synchronization with the other lights and there were doors that looked like the ones from Alphys's lab and a monitor with two buttons shaped like arrows pointing up and down respectively. Alice quickly realized this was an elevator and by far the most modern-looking elevator she had ever seen in her life. Twiddling her fingers at first as she wondered if this was the one that'd take her to the Core, she pushed the up button and the doors opened. As the little girl made her way inside, she saw the floor had a pretty peach and yellow checkerboard pattern with similar colors for the walls. A monitor hanging on the wall boasted 9 buttons in rows of three and Alice realized these were probably the different floors she would be allowed to take. Oddly enough, she noticed some of the buttons distinguished between 'Left Floor' and 'Right Floor'.

"D-does this elevator go sideways…?" She asked.

 _Now which way is it that I ought to go?_ She asked again but this time in her thoughts. Often times she imagined herself pondering the right way to go in Wonderland and here she found that it would be even more important to go the right way. With Mettaton on her tail there was no telling what consequences the wrong turn would cause for her. She decided to pursue the right floor and pushed the button. The elevator closed and Alice found herself moving downwards. It was uncomfortably shaky and even seemed to worsen slightly upon hearing her destination, forcing Alice to lean against the wall for balance. It stopped smoothly upon arriving to the Right Floor and Alice found she needed to choose another one of the buttons. "Right Floor 1" or "Right Floor 2". Naturally she chose Right Floor 2 as it was logically the next step in her journey. After another shaky ride, the elevator stopped and opened its doors. Alice emerged to find not much had changed about the area compared to the last one she was in though she did find a rather adorable little boy made of fire like Grillby.

"Hello there!" Alice waved hello to him and offered a cheerful greeting.

"Heh. I'm Heats Flamesman. Remember my name!" He replied with a bit of a cocky vibe.

 _At least he's specific,_ Alice chuckled to herself. After moving into the next area, Alice stopped in her tracks. To her amazement there was several other monsters present. A green bird-like woman clad in a pink dress clutching what appeared to be a hot dog, a Vulkin with a hot dog settling inside its crater of lava, and… Sans. At another sentry post. Grinning. Snow covering the roof of it. In Hotland.

"... SANS?! You have stations here too?!" Alice exclaimed.

Sans turned to face Alice, as did the bird-lady (Alice was now wondering if it was a harpy like of Greek Mythology) and the Vulkin. The bird-lady and Vulkin then instantly went back to eating their hot dog, clearly not interested in a discussion between two strangers. Now this was the normal way for Alice to react upon seeing Sans but almost instinctively after blurting that out, she recalled the last nightmare she had where the other 'Alice' warned her of Sans not trusting her and had been taking his time waiting to possibly harm her. It seemed plausible now that Alice had found Sans once again in another station set up along her journey as though to monitor her but why? Alice knew this would be a chance to get some answers she needed although the presence of the Vulkin and harpy made her a little more nervous about trying anything. As she thought all this, Sans spoke,

"you betcha buddy. what's up? wanna buy a hot dog? it's only 30G"

"... A hot dog you say?" Alice's eyes lit up.

A hot dog indeed sounded quite delicious, a nice, warmly cooked sausage in between a bun like a sandwich. Particularly given that Alice hadn't had many opportunities to eat some of the Underground's cuisine and that the cooking show with Mettaton had stirred her appetite. Still, the little girl didn't want to be swayed so easily by food and she cleared her throat.

"Why exactly though are you selling hot dogs instead of sentry duty?" She asked.

"eh, you gotta make a living somehow. plus i've always loved ketchup and the best thing ketchup goes on is a hot dog. It's a big hit with the hot dog royal guardsmen." Sands replied cheekily.

"So then you sell these in Snowdin too?" Alice inquired.

"nah, just didn't want to let the pun get away. so do you want any?" Sans shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.

Alice frowned slightly. Was this happy-go-lucky personality of Sans some sort of mask for the serious revelations he may have possessed? As well as the fact he was a bit too obsessed with bad or at least obvious puns. Still, Alice was getting hungry and it did look very delicious. _Only a fool would reject something they absolutely needed,_ Alice told herself.

"Yes please." Alice said.

"thanks, kid. here's your 'dog. yeah. 'dog. apostrophe-dog. it's short for hot-dog." Sans remarked as he handed Alice a juicy looking hot-dog.

"I don't think you need to correct grammar when it's spoken aloud." Alice pointed out, a bit flustered as she handed the 30G.

"well just between us, my grammar's usually incorrect anyway. i rest my lower-case." Sans spoke as a matter of factly.

Alice looked puzzled at what Sans was trying to do. Whether it was a joke or some sort of advice was impossible for the little girl to determine. Letting the conversation go, she took a bite of the hot dog. It tasted simply scrumptious with a rich juicy meat, perfectly balanced bun, and some ketchup that Sans had put on it for added flavor. Alice was careful to eat it cleanly and neatly as she didn't want to spill anything on her delicate attire. On the other end, Sans watched Alice with a grin. He often grinned towards Alice but usually the meaning behind the grin wasn't always the obvious meaning. This grin was a poker face to hide the thinking going on inside his skull. This girl to him was still very much an enigma of sorts being smart but prideful, graceful yet flighty, eager but short-tempered. These traits both served well and had hindered Alice from what he could tell in the Underground. However, what was Alice ultimately hoping to accomplish? Freeing all the monsters was selfless but how'd that benefit her? Why was she so quick to put things she didn't like or approve of down? All of it made her difficult to understand for Sans. Let alone the fact she was the newest human to drop down here…

"how's the 'dog?" He asked her, expertly hiding his reservations.

"Mmm… the meat is very tender and this bun is well-made! I see that Papyrus's cooking aspirations might've come from you." Alice said with a radiant smile.

 _it's comments like that that throw me off the most,_ Sans thought as he looked a bit surprised. _Might as well have fun with it though._

"you really like my sausage huh? you can have more if you really want to." Sans winked as he attempted a more forward joke.

"Well it's not quite your sausage… if anything it's a sausage you've obtained or cut from another sausage and then cooked properly with all the other ingredients to make the hot dog. Also I believe one is quite enough, I would hate to overeat along my journey. Thank you for the offer." Alice replied so innocently that Sans had to resist the urge to facepalm.

 _guess she probably wouldn't know that kind of joke,_ he thought. Sans wasn't counting though on what Alice asked next.

"Excuse me… Sans? May I be frank?"

"... i'd think 'alice' is more feminine than 'frank' but if you really want to you can be called frank." Sans purposefully misunderstood her question.

"... Err, not quite what I meant Sans. I wanted to ask you something serious." Alice folded her hands onto chest as she addressed him.

Sans knew he couldn't show any signs of weakness in front of Alice. She was analytical and acute at discerning details that others wouldn't think of attempting. He had to admit he knew a lot more about what was going on than he let on but he couldn't trust her enough to share that with her. After all, she had openly berated his brother without a second thought and often displayed a sense of entitlement to gathering information or being in the right. He'd seen what that kind of attitude could lead into, particularly with them having the power of a human SOUL. Although he felt as though Alice was a lot more relaxed at this moment than other times he had spoken with her and he hated to admit it but he probably hadn't helped comfort Alice as much as he could've at times. It was almost a good thing that Papyrus wasn't around to see any of this as Sans felt he would be letting his brother down by not giving Alice the same level of trust that Papyrus did. Sans relented and allowed Alice to speak with a nod.

"... Have… I earned your trust yet? I've noticed how often you've reappeared along my journey… like you're watching over me. It's a bit reassuring but… recently I've suspected-"

"i've always had these stations alice. papyrus himself set them all up for me a while back, it's not like i've been following you constantly." Sans replied bristly, more than he intended to, after she used 'suspected'.

"But weren't you at Shyren's concert? That certainly didn't involve any sentry duties…"

 _caught._ The skeleton flinched.

"well... i know papyrus talks a lot about you at home and wonders how you are doing. he's also been dying to introduce you to his friend undyne. he's been resisting the urge to 'bone' in and ask why you haven't met him down in waterfall. that's why i've been checking up on you alice, to make sure you were alright for papyrus." Sans gave a truthful answer but also an off-topic answer.

Alice looked a bit embarrassed after hearing what Sans had said. It was a bit more of a positive reaction than Sans respected and lightened the tense mood just enough for him to regain his composure.

"O-oh…? He was serious about that. Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry… I'll see about meeting up with him after I'm all finished with my journey… i-it's the least i can do after hearing of how much he cares about me..." Alice stammered.

"he'll be happy to hear that…" Sans said before clearing his throat.

"I suppose so… um, but in all fairness… do you trust me yet Sans? And if not what must be done to regain some of your trust…?" Alice asked again however, startling the skeleton.

"..."

Sans wasn't sure how he should go about this. Be honest and risk her wrath or lie and risk her being suspicious? He appreciated that Alice was at least asking him how she needed to regain his trust. A dependency, and a vulnerability that Sans could actually read and understand… It wasn't very nice of him to see her in this way but it was the way he had grown used to. He was prone to giving up on things like these.

"i-i can't say i'd trust you with my will i can tell you that much but… if you really do fulfill that promise you made… to free the underground then i would trust you and repay you with some more skeleton puns." He settled on a witty though kind statement. Or at least a statement that was rather kind in his mind, he wasn't sure if he could trust Alice with kindness. Yet. _yet at least sounds like something papyrus would say,_ he thought.

"I would really appreciate that Sans. Moreso the trust than the skeleton puns I'm afraid." Alice replied earnestly.

"figures. most puns become unBONEable after a while. anyways, you should run along now alice. there's a lot of cool stuff that can be found around here. have fun." The skeleton prematurely ended the conversation, desperate to send Alice away.

Alice felt a bit uncertain with Sans behavior. Something did seem a bit unnatural as soon as Alice opened up the topic of trust and while Alice could tell when he was being honest, she could also tell when there was a careful and obvious consideration he was taking with his answers. If she had to compare it to someone it reminded her of the Mad Hatter, someone who could seem caring and considerate but then do confusing or contradictory things that made Alice frustrated. Here she wasn't so much frustrated rather than more curious and a bit concerned of what Sans was truly thinking. _Also he's simply trying too hard with these puns lately,_ she thought in pity. She was a bit happy to hear Papyrus was still brimming with such care for her well-being even if he couldn't follow her on her journey and a bit ashamed she had taken him seriously on his offer. The prospect of seeing Undyne anytime soon was still much too terrifying to take, even with Alphys's unconditional praise about her. Alice knew she had to continue on her journey to and find a way to free the monsters and herself to earn everyone's trust.

"Thank you Sans. I hope you sell more hot dogs today." Alice spoke, curtsying politely before heading into the next area.

She regretted not being able to speak with the harpy and Vulkin but it did seem as though Sans wanted her to keep going and they seemed enamoured with their hot dogs so it wasn't too big of a loss. She also decided to dial Papyrus's number to give him a call, mostly just to see what he thought of Sans's hot dog career. In all honesty, the little girl was smiling brightly for she was looking forward to this.

"WHAT? MY BROTHER'S ACTUALLY AT HIS STATION? BUT SOMEHOW, HE'S SELLING HOTDOGS INSTEAD?" Papyrus questioned with a potentially aggravated tone.

"You mean you don't know where he got them from…?" Alice asked surprised.

"HARDLY! USUALLY WE ONLY HAVE SELECT GROCERIES, FOOD FOR MY PET ROCK, 28 DIFFERENT TYPES OF PASTA, AND CONDIMENTS! SLACKING OFF BY DOING WORK… TRULY MY BROTHER IS A MASTER." Papyrus conceded begrudgingly.

"He told me he was making money though… isn't that advantageous for you two?" Alice offered.

"NO FURTHER COMMENT." Papyrus grumbled before hanging up.

 _I guess this Papyrus only sympathizes with culinary escapades that suit his tastes,_ Alice realized. She found herself in the next area, which appeared to be an ordinary path with gears rotating in the background when she suddenly got another alert on her cell phone. Alice suppressed a groan to read it. 'dinner with the girlfriend ; )' along with a picture of what appeared to be a cat girl figurine next to a bowl of instant noodles.

"At least it isn't the Cheshire Cat…" Alice said, noticing that the figurine looked a bit overexaggerated in its shape.

To her surprise, she got another alert but this time the post was from someone else entirely. Coolskeleton95 who posted a picture with the message 'ARE WE POSTING HOT "PICS?" HERE IS ME AND MY COOL FRIEND'. Even without knowing who the username belonged to, the picture revealed exactly who Alice assumed this monster was. The picture was of Papyrus flexing in front of a mirror wearing sunglasses. Somehow he suddenly appeared to have giant muscular biceps over his bones and they were wearing sunglasses. It was a little dopey but Alice appreciated seeing a post from someone other than Alphys. _This also means that I'm not the only one seeing these messages,_ Alice added thoughtfully, _so that way I'm not as alone._ Moments after that message from Papyrus, Alphys made another status update. 'LOL, CoolSkeleton95! … that's a joke, right?' 'THE ONLY JOKE HERE, IS HOW STRONG MY MUSCLES ARE.' Alice giggled at Papyrus's enthusiastic answer and finally stopped in place as she noticed that she was at a crossroads. Or at least there was a path leading to the left of her. Alice saw no harm in traversing that path and came upon…

"Oh it's an apron! Aww… it's stained though. I don't think I could use this quite as efficiently as I would've liked." Alice sighed with some disappointment upon discovering an apron lying on the ground.

Just at that moment, she found herself getting another alert but this time it was from someone she had never ever imagined…

"NAPSTABLOOK22…? Napsta…?" Alice looked surprised.

He was sending her a friend request with permission for her to either accept or reject it. Alice's eyes sparkled in excitement, not only at the idea of him making her his friend but also her having him around indefinitely. Just as she was about to accept it though… Napstablook's request rejected itself. Alice's face fell dramatically and she looked a bit baffled. _Perhaps he's not comfortable on this sort of medium,_ Alice thought optimistically, I' _d certainly understand in that case._ Either way, Alice was glad to hear from him again in some shape or form. Little did she know that Napstablook was currently feeling very embarrassed at his home, a bit ashamed of his cowardice but also flustered of how close he came to a commitment. Alice decided to pick up the messy apron anyway, perhaps in the event she could find something to clean it with, she placed it into her pockets and went back onto the crossroads. Although when she arrived on the crossroads and stared straight ahead at what appeared to be empty black space, she noticed something peculiar. It was as though there was a transparent substance lying at the tip of the ground and the empty space, like glass. Alice's eyes widened as she crouched down and tried to feel the empty space without risking falling down. It was a glass path of sorts, big enough for Alice to walk along and it appeared to go straight forward into the darkness. The little girl instantly felt a rush of excitement upon finding what appeared to be a secret path and stood up.

"I wonder where this path shall lead?" She asked herself as she crossed carefully but quickly along it.

It led to a lit up area that didn't appear to possess anything special beyond three earth pedestals that held three cacti with yellow blossoms and a sign in the middle of the space. Alice frowned slightly at the fact there wasn't anyone around or any particularly extraordinary sights. The sign looked promising enough to her so she walked over to read the sign. 'Art Club: Meet here! Next meeting: October 11th 8PM'. Alice had to admit this was fairly interesting information. The idea of a Art Club in the Underground was quite curious to Alice as it was her first real knowledge of a group or a real pastime organization being functional in the Underground. Not even Snowdin appeared to have a club that met together for some activity, the Dog Guard notwithstanding as they were protectors. Although the extremely specific meeting time seemed unusual to Alice. It had not been autumn when Alice had gone to the park with her sister that morning so when had this sign been posted? _Also why meet so late in the day? That seems rather counterproductive as you're exhausted by then,_ she thought. Alice looked around the area to see if there was anyone around, which there wasn't. It was probable it wasn't October 11th but Alice still was curious to see if anyone would come. The worst thing that could happen was that King Asgore was in this Art Club after all so Alice called out,

"Hellooooooooooo?! I'm here for the Art Club meeting! Is there anyone around?!"

Several moments of silence later and Alice heard footsteps fast approaching. They sounded heavy though as opposed to the footsteps she would leave behind and whoever it was sounded like they were in a rush. Alice turned around quickly to see what it was and was astounded at what happened next.

"Ahhhh! I'm late! I'm late! I'm so sorry!" A squeaky and somewhat meek masculine voice hollered.

From the path Alice herself had took, a rather large and plump monster dashed towards her. He appeared to be some sort of lizard like Alphys but with bigger ears, a much longer tail, a yellow and brown marked skin tone, chubby arms, unusually shaped legs, a blue sleeveless vest, long and somewhat lustrous brown hair, a snout, and a dapper hat. It all together created one of the more intriguing if unusual monsters Alice had seen so far in the Underground. The creature skidded to a halt in front of Alice, blocking her in politely and then began to twiddle his fingers and shuffle in place rather nervously. Alice quickly identified his name as… So Sorry.

"... T-that's your real name? But it's a phrase." Alice pondered in confusion.

He also seemed to be in the wrong time and space, much like Alice apparently.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! How clumsy of me… I've bumped into you. I'm such a klutz, I was just here to find something to draw and…" He lamented with an expression so pitiful Alice felt a desire to hug him.

"I assure you, you nearly bumped into me but you stopped just in the nick of time. There's no need to fret." Alice remarked.

"R-really? Oh, I'm so glad… I'll give you a gift to make up for your troubles. Let me look in my vest!" So Sorry seemed relieved and turned around to start looking.

However, Alice didn't realize quite yet until it made itself prominent that his tail was swinging slowly but precariously towards her and was the same color as the Blue attacks from Papyrus and the Orange lasers Alphys had warned her to move through to avoid damage. Alice however had little time to react and found herself being slammed to the ground by an orange tail.

"Oof! Oww… how big is that tail anyway?" Alice groaned as she held her cheek and struggled to get up.

"Ummm, I couldn't find anything I want to give away. Wait, wait! I've got my notebook!" So Sorry cheerfully exclaimed as he pulled out a notebook with a smiley face on it.

Alice wasn't sure whether to be cross at him being oblivious to hitting her or appreciative of him earnestly trying to find a gift for her. The notebook did appear to be quite adorable at the very least and perhaps now that she was more careful, she could avoid being accidentally hit again.

"Are you going to draw me perhaps? I've never been a formal model before…" Alice pondered aloud.

"Yeah, I'm quite the artist you know. I'll draw you a GREAT picture!" So Sorry announced with almost a bit too much bravado.

After he turned around again to draw this picture, Alice found his tail swaying wildly again and this time was able to avoid being smashed. Then, So Sorry turned around to face Alice and held up his drawing to Alice, looking noticeably perturbed. The finished drawing on the open notebook page was… unusual to say the least. It was indeed Alice but there was something very off-putting about the way she was portrayed on that piece of paper.

"Ahh… um… w-why do I look so overstuffed in this depiction of me? A-and serpentine? I look like some bizarre stuffed animal." Alice remarked nervously as she suddenly felt flushed.

The picture in question portrayed Alice as though she was a lizard like So Sorry, but her body shape was completely swelled up and a bit grotesque if she had to describe it. It appeared she was exhausted as well in the picture and it just didn't look flattering in the slightest. The only positive she could give the drawing was how So Sorry perfectly captured her clothes and her physical features. Alice hated to be unappreciative but it was such a bizarre art style and interpretation of her features that she felt a bit ashamed that this was how So Sorry saw her. So Sorry looked positively embarrassed upon Alice's critiques and tapped his fingers sorrowfully.

"S.. sorry… the drawing didn't come out very well. Wait! I know the problem! I just have to find a better piece of paper for it!" So Sorry spoke a bit more optimistically as he scrambled in his vest again.

"The parchment wasn't the probl-oh! Hey!" Alice groaned as she suddenly felt a surprisingly painful piece of scrunched up paper bonk her on her head.

So Sorry was throwing out lots of scraps of paper behind him, completely mindless of Alice's positioning or the environmental threat it posed. Alice was able to easily step out of the way of the rest of the paper scraps but sighed in exasperation at the carelessness So Sorry was displaying. She was about to comment towards the anxious So Sorry but he once again was facing her.

"None of my papers are good enough to use… IT'S OK! I know what I can do! I'll-"

"Calm down already! You need to be a bit more careful as an artist to not lose your cool and to have confidence in your art form. I think your drawing was perfectly fine in terms of the quality, just the portrayal left a lot to be desired." Alice halted his recklessness by clasping his arms tightly and speaking to him.

"O-oh…? You really think so… b-but how about I show you my magic pencil? As soon as I can find it under some of these papers somewhere!" So Sorry stated.

"How about we look together?" Alice offered as she instinctively moved next to him as his back turned.

"T-through my vest…?" So Sorry asked a bit shocked as he rummaged.

"... W-well when you put it like that I suppose not."

"Here! I got it! My magic pencil is amazing! Everything I draw with it looks… COMPLETELY REAL!" So Sorry cheerfully held what looked like a very simple pencil.

"Oh, like DETERMINATION." Alice said thoughtfully, holding a finger up.

"I don't know what that is… b-but um here! Lemme show- EEP!" So Sorry scribbled something quickly but then cowered back when the results seemed to not be what he wanted.

At that moment, two unusual beings appeared on either side of So Sorry. They appeared to be of a round shape with two small horns, thin long arms, and small heeled legs. They looked very similar to the Loox Alice had encountered in the Ruins although with longer arms. They stood there, seemingly harmless but Alice was concerned about them due to So Sorry's next words,

"Uuuuhhhh, oh no! That's a little too real!"

"Well you certainly weren't overloading expectations then." Said Alice.

They proceeded to spew out what looked like scribbled orbs at both her and So Sorry. Alice was nervous as to what they would do if they hit So Sorry and thus the little girl grabbed ahold of him and helped to navigate their way through the pattern of attacks.

"AHHHHH!" So Sorry shrieked in fear and perhaps nerves.

"Don't worry So Sorry. At this point in my journey I can safely say handling these encounters is easier than croquet with flamingos and hedgehogs." Alice tried to reassure him with some of her artistic visions and stood ready to face the drawings.

She found that she could 'Draw' something to counter the two drawings, perhaps with determination. Holding her fingers as though she was wielding a writing utensil of her own, she drew two boats that the drawings themselves found placed on. Amusingly, they sailed away into the empty darkness of the surrounding area. Indeed, it had been very effortless. Unfortunately their effects still lingered…

"I've messed up. I've really messed up. Oh no. I'll just use a regular pencil! I'll try my best!" So Sorry seemed desperate to try to prove himself.

"So Sorry... "

"Are you ready!? I just finished. Here's your picture! What do you think!? It's a representation of your deepest essence…" So Sorry held another picture he had drawn to show to Alice.

This picture however did appear to be remarkably different from the last one. It portrayed Alice lovingly telling So Sorry a story, her sitting on the ground daintily and while So Sorry did look very fat in the picture, he seemed to be enjoying the story. Their expressions were simply captivating and Alice looked very much true to herself in the picture, her dainty figure and all. It was at that moment Alice realized that she looked so unchanged, unscarred by all that she had endured in the Underground. She didn't appear depressed or tired or weak, she was still full of life, eager, happy, and not at all terrified over her experiences. This was how So Sorry saw her, her deepest essence of someone who actually appeared to belong in the Underground or who was still being herself there. Even more than that, it was the same scenario Alice and her sister had been in before she fell in the Underground. Her sister had been reading her a history lesson that day in the park and Alice was listening. She wasn't sure if this was a coincidence or some rare level of insight on So Sorry's part, but being reminded of that memory was very appreciated. Alice looked as though she was about to cry at the sheer beauty of the piece and So Sorry noticed.

"It's great, right!? … I-I mean I hope you don't think it's terrible or anything-"

"It's priceless… I-I can't imagine I still look like that even now… I seem so at ease and happy… it's a wonderful drawing. Thank you so much So Sorry." Alice curtsied elegantly as her first tear of happiness shed.

"Wow…! T-that's one of the first times anyone has liked my art…! Maybe it was worth coming here despite it not being the right time… thanks so much uh… what is your name?" So Sorry asked, looking extremely relieved.

"Alice… a-and can I keep this please? I would very much like to show this to someone special to me." Alice asked as politely as she could.

"Of course. I mean I do commissions all the time… though usually it's oddly specific. I thought for you I'd try something a bit different since you didn't like my last one all that much. Um… so what kind of art do you like?" So Sorry questioned as he handed Alice the drawing.

"Mostly paintings. I've always liked the idea of painting things in a number of beautiful ways, whether it be a house or a masterpiece or roses." Alice answered, calming down from the initial awe of the drawing and putting it into her apron pocket.

"Painting roses…? T-that sounds familiar…"

"Apparently it is quite familiar to those in the Underground." Alice remarked with a giggle.

 _I wonder if this means Wonderland is a very popular art subject,_ Alice thought recalling what Alphys had told her. However So Sorry looked around anxiously and sighed.

"I-I'd love to stay and chat with you some more and offer you Art Club membership, b-but am a busy guy! Plus it's not actually time for the club meeting... I hope we can meet again someday!" So Sorry bowed his head nervously and admitted what he was feeling to Alice.

"I would appreciate such a future meeting. Thank you again. I had a nice time." Alice said sweetly.

"Goodbye! See you later! Sayonara! Nice knowing ya! Hasta la vista. … I should leave." So Sorry said numerous farewells to Alice before ultimately dashing away from the scene just as fast as he had arrived.

Feeling enlightened after this fun and appreciated intermission, Alice returned to the crossroads using the secret path and then followed the proper path to the next area. Alice quickly identified two conveyer belts with three metal pedestals that boasted three red buttons. On the other side of the conveyer belt was a giant blue laser that seemed to have conjured a ball of said electricity in the middle of it all. Alice quickly deduced that this was probably another puzzle that she would have to solve. But before she could figure out for herself the requirements of this puzzle, her phone rang again. Considering she hadn't been bothered once by the phone during her and So Sorry's encounter, Alice found this an unwelcome reminder. Alice answered it with the slightest bit of hesitation.

"H… hi…! It's Dr. Alphys." Answered the very familiar lizard.

"Of course it is. Who else would be calling me this consistently?" Alice remarked with a huff.

She was aware that she was being rude and it'd be due to a scolding from her sister, but she felt exasperated with how often Alphys was using her phone like this. Not to mention it still made it seem like she was monitoring Alice far too often for her privacy's sake.

"... Sorry… I-I'll try to limit my calls in the future… ahem! This puzzle is kinda… um… timing-based. Y-you see those switches over there? Y-you'll have to press all three of them within 3 seconds. I'll t-try to help you with the rhythm!" Alphys explained.

Alice approached the conveyer belt closest to the switches and braced herself to be pulled along. She placed her feet upon the metal device and felt herself be tugged along. Careful to reach out her arms in time, she was able to trigger the first two switches successfully. Something bizarre happened though once she got to the third trigger, the phone rang again and disrupted her focus. Alice was stunned and confused and found herself losing her footing as she reached the end of the conveyer belt and fell onto the ground. Upon regaining her footing, she grimaced and answered the phone angrily.

"Excuse me Alphys but why did you call when I was attempting to solve the puzzle?!"

"OK! Now press the third butt… oh. ….. ….. H-h-hey! Looks like you! Only needed to press! Two of them!" Alphys rambled on as though she was going with the flow.

"W-what do you mean…?" Alice asked before looking up to where the laser once stood.

Indeed it had vanished, meaning the area was accessible to Alice although Alice hadn't been able to see how and when it vanished due to being distracted by Alphys. It all seemed very much like some kind of mind game to Alice and she began to feel frustrated. Even worse, it seemed Alphys had hung up on the little girl, escaping her wrath. Alice frowned and stood up, dusting her apron and folding her arms angrily. She didn't appreciate these sort of antics when she was trying to explore on her own and freely. Deciding she needed to calm down a bit, she elected to call Papyrus again.

"WHAT? YOU HAVE TO SOLVE A PUZZLE ON THE CONVEYORS? THAT GOES AGAINST PUZZLE DESIGN 101…" Papyrus remarked with distaste.

"They certainly aren't as fun as your puzzles either Papyrus. The person helping me with the puzzles is also proving to be a bit obnoxious at this point. She keeps calling or posting stuff endlessly and I can't even gain the time to reason about when Mettaton will strike again or the like!" Alice complained.

"OH, WELL I TOO CAN GET A BIT OBNOXIOUS… USUALLY WHEN IT COMES TO MY COOLNESS. I CAN BE SO UNDENIABLY COOL THAT MAYBE I OUTCOOL SOMEBODY ELSE. SO I HAVE TO COOL THEM UP TO BE EVEN COOLER! I-IS THAT A GOOD COMPARISON?" Papyrus asked.

Alice realized he had tried to sympathize with the person Alice was describing in a more intellectual way like she herself had used. It sounded a bit odd on Papyrus but it did seem that Papyrus knew she was referring to Alphys. In a sense he was saying that Alphys was almost being too doting on Alice and so maybe Alice needed to possibly prove to Alphys she didn't need as much doting as she was very capable on her own. That sounded like a very convincing argument to Alice and would allow her to ignore Alphys's phone calls without the guilt or dishonor of not properly answering to someone like her sister would've said. Alice nodded to herself and replied,

"I see what you mean Papyrus. Thank you for the 'cool' advice."

"AND BEFORE I FORGET, REMEMBER THE ONE IMPORTANT OPINION I HAVE ON CONVEYORS. THEY ARE AWFUL AND NEVER SHOULD BE USED!""

"Agreed." Alice said with a chuckle as she ended the conversation and kept going deeper into Hotland.

To Be Continued...

Exclusive Sneak Peek Journal: journal/THE-WAIT-IS-OVER-ALICE-IN-UNDERTALE-RETURNS-652548767


	23. Welcome to the Tea Parlor

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 22 Welcome to the Tea Parlor

Upon stepping into the next area of Hotland, Alice found that there were more arrow squares from earlier though this time there was something else present besides the arrows themselves. They were white squares with a red dot in the middle and seemed to be some sort of switch themselves. Alice frowned at this new and mysterious variable added into Hotland's navigation system. She was beginning to lose her patience already with the puzzles themselves and now they were becoming even more complicated. Alice began to approach the square when her phone rang again. Resisting the urge to toss the phone into the ground, Alice noticed the message was actually a sign of hope and relief for her mental stability. 'that's the last time i try to help with a puzzle lmao'. Alice said nothing as she took a few steps forward in preparation for an inevitable phone call.

"Uh, h-h-hey! I'm going to the bathroom, so I'll be MIA for a bit."

"If I may ask, what does 'lmao' and 'MIA' mean?" Alice asked, sounding noticeably calm despite her earlier frustration with Alphys.

"L-laughing my… ... attitude off? Y-yeah… and then MIA means missing in a-action. I'm… I'm sure you can handle this puzzle yourself!" Alphys explained a bit hastily before signing off.

Alice set down the phone into her apron pocket and stood there, watching the switches and surroundings calmly. Then with a jolt of sudden movement, she jumped into the air with her arms raised in total victory. She bellowed a mighty battle cry,

"YES! At last! I can properly explore Hotland without any distractions again!"

As childish as it was, Alice couldn't help but celebrate at Alphys leaving her be for some time. The lizard scientist meant well but it was becoming too prominent to seem truly genuine and it was getting increasingly off-topic as well. Now the little girl could begin to solve these problems through her intelligence alone and not by some hints. As soon as she stepped on the new white and red square, she noticed something changed about some of the further arrow squares. Some of them sank into the ground and new ones sprouted towards directions that weren't originally there. It seemed these new squares affected which arrow squares would pop out at once and thus changed the overall layout for the traveler. _This is much like Papyrus's X and O puzzle,_ Alice realized. _I'll have to use some trial and error to get the hang of this._ Indeed the little girl quickly began soaring and triggering the different switches and realizing that triggering the same switch would revert the arrows back to the beginning. So after going back and forth on a certain pair of switches, she was able to forge a perfect path to a new area that she had yet to reach before.

"Ah-ha! I've done it! Way to go me." Alice chuckled to herself.

She was definitely feeling her old adventurous spirit coming back to her after solving the puzzle and being given more privacy to decide her journey. Speaking of old though, the next area held a very familiar site to Alice.

"Oh… isn't that the same mousehole from the previous areas?" Alice asked herself.

Indeed, there was a mousehole imbedded on a piece of rocky terrain and an out of place table with a microwave resting upon it. As Alice was about to approach it, her phone chimed again.

"Oh for the love of tea! How many more updates can one monster stand to post?!" Alice growled in frustration as she examined Alphys's latest concern.

'OMG ppl think Mew Mew 2 is better than Mew Mew 1? LOLLLLL that's a joke right…' _Oh that was the thing Mettaton and Alphys mentioned in that quiz show,_ Alice realized. Although what caught her eye more was the subtle entitled tone between what Alphys put down. It was implying Alphys felt that this opinion was beneath her own opinion and showed a bit more of a serious if intimidating side to the scientist. Alice then proceeded to investigate the microwave… or what she thought was a microwave. Instead it turned out to be some sort of robotic box with lasers protecting a piece of cheese inside. They had melted the edges of the cheese and thus kept it stuck to the table. All in all it seemed unnecessarily complicated and a bit cruel in regards to the mouse. Knowing and hoping that the mouse might one day hack the computerized safe and get the cheese filled Alice with DETERMINATION. Trying to make some ground, Alice found another update had developed. 'Omg… DON'T THEY GET IT RUINS Mew Mew's ENTIRE CHARACTER ARC. My Mew Mew 2 Review: Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 is neither Kissy Nor Cutie. Its Trash. 0 stars'

"I suppose it is best that I don't question her tastes for the time being." Alice said to herself as she felt a bit shaken by how serious Alphys was taking a piece of fiction.

Considering as well that her Wonderland was apparently a piece of existing fiction, it made Alice nervous to find out what Alphys thought of her world. Was it a favorable opinion or very harsh disdain just like this unfortunate Mew Mew 2? _I'm speaking nonsense again,_ Alice realized as she was losing focus and needed to be more alert. She realized she was in an area where pipes spewed steam rhythmically and it was long and straight until it turned right. Alice was nearing that specific turn without an interruption when suddenly a familiar voice rang out. Fortunately it wasn't Mettaton's but Alice had to take some time to recall whose it was.

"Hey! You! Stop!"

"Wait a moment… that sounds like… oh dear." Alice gulped and turned around once she realized who it was and where it was coming from.

Indeed, the two Royal Guards she had encountered outside Alphys's lab were approaching her swiftly. Granted they had been very cordial to her earlier and explained a few things, something told Alice they weren't going to be as pacifistic as before. The floppy-eared guard was the one who called out to her and spoke once more to her,

"We've, like, received an anonymous tip about a human wearing a blue dress and apron. They told us that they were wandering around Hotland right now... I know, sounds scary, huh? Well, just stay chill. We'll bring you someplace safe, OK?"

"... Wait a moment, what are you saying?" Alice asked, completely unprepared for what the guard told her.

Not only did he seem to be looking out for her by warning her about this 'human', who was so obviously Alice that it seemed like a disgrace not to recognize her, but also offered to get her to safety. If Alice wasn't one for accuracy and reason she would've been flattered but right now she was just sympathizing with Undyne right now. _I can't imagine how frustrated she would be that her guards were so oblivious,_ Alice thought as she resisted the urge to facepalm. Although Alice suddenly realized that it may have been in her best interest to play along with this ruse, it seemed as though the pointy-eared guard leaned in close to whisper something to the floppy-eared guard.

"...Huh? What is it, bro? The dress they're wearing? … like, what about it?" The talkative guard inquired as he and his partner faced Alice.

"Wait, are you two brothers or is that more of a nickname?" Alice decided to try changing the subject.

The floppy-eared guard seemed to jump up, antsy at what Alice asked. He waved his hands and sputtered,

"O-oh… n-no we're not brothers… i-i-it's just a nickname…! Y-yeah! Anyways… something tells me he's thinking what I'm thinking."

"A-and what might that be?"

"Bummer. This is, like… Mega embarrassing. We, like, actually totally have to kill you and stuff." The floppy-eared guard sounded resigned as he and his partner suddenly assumed an aggressive stance.

 _Perhaps I should've just played dumb blonde in the end,_ Alice thought with some embarrassment at letting her pride oust her identity so quickly. Alice wasn't as intimidated by these Guards as opposed to Undyne herself from their earlier behavior but avoiding this sort of encounter would've likely helped her out in the long run. Alice analyzed both of them to find they were named RG 01 and RG 02, the floppy-eared one and the pointy-eared one respectively. RG 01 had shining, polished armor while RG 02 had stuffy armor. The contrast between the status of their armor was a bit amusing to Alice if also a bit strange. Wouldn't members of the Royal Guard be given the same quality of armor for maximum performance? Or did it end this way due to how the guardsman took care of their armor? Either way, both the guards were still of a respected order and Alice needed to defend herself successfully.

"Like, team attack." RG 01 said.

"... team attack." RG 02 said at the exact same time.

Alice found herself tangoing with projectiles that could only be described as shaped like a glowworm or perhaps a screw used in lightbulbs. They approached her from top to bottom but were decently slow despite the extra coverage. This allowed Alice to maneuver successfully around the projectiles and keep her going. Alice noticed that sweat was pouring out of 02's armor, which was probably contributing to the unclean state of it. Alice thought about what would be best for it, her hand placed to her cheek. Ultimately there was only one thing that seemed right for the situation, a fresh clean. She pulled out a handkerchief from her apron pocket, approached RG 02 and wiped his armor down neatly. RG 01 turned to her in shock while RG 02 seemed to merely huff in disinterest.

"There, now you should feel a bit more comfortable I imagine!" Alice chimed in cheerfully.

"Like, perish and stuff." RG 01 announced in a slightly bitter tone.

"... getting … warmer." RG 02 seemed even more uncomfortable than before in his response.

Alice was puzzled as she dodged the next series of attacks, which were now shaped like a morning star. She had cleaned off all the dirt, why would he be feeling warmer…? _Oh! Perhaps that dirt cooled down the armor by blocking off the heat,_ Alice realized. It certainly made the most sense given the environment they were in and the fact it was still very hot. Alice had grown used to it but for someone who hadn't been used to it…

"... can't … take it. … armor… too… HOT! … much better." RG 02 shouted as he stripped himself off his chestplate and showed perhaps the most skin Alice had ever seen.

"E-eep! Warn me next time you decide to undress in public!" Alice cried, averting her eyes as she began to blush.

His skin was a dark, serpentine green and his muscles were… exaggerated to say the least. In fact he was very well fit with defined pecs, shoulders, and… other things Alice felt she wasn't old enough to speak about. The little girl now felt very embarrassed about causing this awkward fiasco until she noticed something. RG 01 was shaking in his boots and seemed incredibly flustered, sweat flying from his helmet. He appeared bothered… or perhaps nervous about something that was to his right. It appeared he noticed the physique of his 'bro' and was intrigued by it but too ashamed to point anything out. But why would he respond like that? Alice thought in genuine confusion. If they had been partners all this time wouldn't they have grown familiar with one another as comrades and not be so flustered about seeing them unclothed? Unless…

' _It's always been a part of our culture. Humans have had to fight long and hard for those rights I hear but monsters have never really judged like that.'_

"Oh…! Of course… I get it now!" Alice exclaimed to herself upon realizing exactly what RG 01 thought of RG 02 and why they were having this reaction.

"H-huh?" RG 01 questioned Alice's yelp as he sounded very shy.

"Mr Guard… I think I know what you need to do." Alice spoke to him, approaching to his side.

"A-aren't we trying t-to kill you though…? W-what could you p-possibly know about me a-a-and… bro?"

"You must feel very strongly about him to affectionately call him 'bro'. Now while I may not be old enough to properly inform anyone on how a relationship is to be handled, I have learned that it is key to confess your true feelings towards anyone you feel close to before it's too late. So can you please tell him how you feel?" Alice stood on her tiptoes and whispered to RG 01 as motivationally as she could.

"I… I…" RG 01 appeared stunned at her words and looked between her and RG 02.

Notably, half of the attacks from the next swarm were extremely far off in accuracy. Alice understood that these attacks were coming from RG 01 who appeared to be struggling to muster up the courage. Ultimately though…

"D-dude… I can't… I can't take this anymore! Not like this!" The RG 01 lashed out, his arms flailing as he stood to face RG 02.

"It's worked…!" Alice gasped to herself and clasped her hands together as she watched the events unfold.

RG 02 seemed motionless but was facing his partner to hear what he had to say.

"Like, 02! I like… I like, LIKE you, bro! The way you fight… the way you talk… I love doing team attacks with you. I love standing here with you, bouncing and waving our weapons in sync… 02… I, like, want to stay like this forever…" RG 01 stated with words so sweet and eloquent that Alice felt it belonged in a love letter.

"... …." RG 02 looked down to the ground and remained silent.

This reaction made RG 01 flinch and suddenly begin to stammer his words.

"Uh… I mean, uh… Psyche! Gotcha, bro! Haha!"

Alice pouted and was about to tear into RG 02 verbally for not responding properly to his partner but to her surprise, that was exactly what he did next.

"... 01."

"Y-yeah, bro?"

"... … do you want to… … get some ice cream… … after this?" 02 spoke with some nervousness himself but his appreciation and acceptance shone through in his rougher tone.

"Sure, dude! Haha!" RG 01 chuckled sweetly and looked much more radiant in his body language.

"Well I shan't keep you busy from some quality time together. Run along now!" Alice cheekily and cheerfully stated, taking advantage to pacify them.

Indeed, with Alice's words releasing them from their obligations, the two guards departed hand in hand the way they came. Alice couldn't help but feel extremely proud of herself and warm inside for helping them get together. Granted her sister would possibly have not approved of Alice playing a matchmaker when she was such a young, innocent girl but it was all she could think of to pacify the two. Alice did regret not being able to get any information about Asgore or his castle out of them but she decided it was better they were happy than having her curiousity satisfied. Seeing the road ahead of her, Alice carried on her way. Unexpectedly for once though, Alphys messaged her something that wasn't completely random. 'oopswait how is the human doing. Top 10 Shows That Make You Forget To Do Your Frickin Job' _I daresay that 'frickin' word is something inappropriate for me to say,_ Alice thought with some suspicion as Alphys seemed frustrated in the message. Before she could reason about it further, she was into the next area… and it was completely dark.

"E-eh?! What happened to the lighting…? We're outside aren't we…? Well technically we're underground but otherwise we should certainly be outside." Alice gasped in bafflement.

Her phone rang moments after and the little girl answered it for hopes of finding the reason behind this.

"Okay, I'm back! A-another dark room, huh?" Alphys identified the situation.

"But aren't we outside? Like the natural environment of Hotland? How could it suddenly turn… oh bother, Mettaton is behind this isn't he?" Alice grimaced as she figured out the only possible cause.

"O-oh boy… well let's hope i-it isn't him and I'll help you out. M-my hacking skills have got things covered!" Alphys gulped before trying to reassure Alice.

"Hacking?"

"It's like interfering with a-a puzzle's design directly to solve it b-b-but with any electronic device. Here I'll show you…!"

Moments later, the lights in the area did turn on and Alice could see once again. However she could also tell there was something amiss. Alphys's next comment seemed to confirm her thoughts.

"Are you serious?"

"OHHHHHH YESSS! GOOD EVENING, BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES! THIS IS METTATON, REPORTING FROM MTT NEWS! AN INTERESTING SITUATION HAS ARISEN IN EASTERN HOTLAND!" The MTT news broadcast started with a bang.

In the living room of the house of the Snowdin skeletons, Papyrus was watching the broadcast with a feverish and childish delight. Not only was his most favorite and alluring television host on the air, but there was someone else unexpected centered on the screen that made him even more ecstatic.

"SANS! SANS! YOU HAVE TO WATCH! IT'S ALICE! SHE'S ON T.V! NOW SHE'S THE UNDERGROUND'S HOMETOWN DARLING!" Papyrus called out to his brother upstairs.

"i thought mettaton was your 'darling.' and why is she on anyway?" Sans grumbled as he opened the door to his bedroom and headed downstairs, his jacket off.

"METTATON IS MY HOME DARLING! THERE'S A GREAT DIFFERENCE! AND IT APPEARS SHE'S ABOUT TO TACKLE ONE OF METTATON'S WELL-EXECUTED AND SEDUCTIVE PUZZLES." Papyrus clarified.

Indeed, Alice was on T.V, as were the current news bulletin which included stories like "SCHOOL CANCELED OVER REACTIVATED PUZZLES !" scrolling by. Mettaton continued the report while Alice looked around with shock and concern on the feed,

"BRAVE CORRESPONDENT! PLEASE FIND SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY TO REPORT!"

"Excuse me?! I'm not even old enough to pursue a career… let alone hold a position! How is this fair?" Alice growled on the feed.

"SHE SEEMS SO UPSET… I THOUGHT SHE WOULD'VE LOVED TO BE FAMOUS AND POPULAR." Papyrus sighed in sympathy.

"well she doesn't really possess an interest in being on the a of spades list. she seems like she'd prefer to be a one hit wonderland… or something." Sans sounded a bit out of it.

Papyrus turned to Sans concerned. His brother always loved to make bad puns but most of them involved skeletons or were so natural and seamless they were… more tolerable than usual. Now it seemed like he was having more and more trouble with making his puns flow off the tongue. _IF THERE WAS STILL A TONGUE THERE,_ Papyrus thought. Clearing his throat, the older brother spoke to the younger brother,

"SANS… ARE YOU STILL BEING PLAGUED BY THOSE BAD DREAMS? IT SEEMS AS OF RECENTLY YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TOO HARD. WHICH I NORMALLY WOULD RESPECT IF IT WAS TOWARDS YOUR JOB BUT NO. YOU STILL REMAIN LAZY YET SOMEHOW ARE TRYING MORE TO KEEP UP YOUR ANTICS THAN USUAL."

"... i guess i have been off my puns lately. maybe i should take one less job to give my BONEbrain some time to think up new material." Sans winked at his brother cheekily.

"THAT'S NOT A GOOD HABIT TO GET INTO! PUNS OR QUITTING JOBS!" Papyrus scolded his younger brother with his usual bravado.

"oh, looks like alice found a story for your robot crush."

"EH?! SHE DID?!" Papyrus gasped, eyes widened as he turned to the tragically neglected screen.

Alice was petting what looked like a very small and cute white doggy. Papyrus's eager joy suddenly decreased into a bit of ironic displeasure. That same dog had spirited away some of his best bones and made him look incompetent and gave Sans the chance to play incidental music. Still it seemed as though Alice looked relieved and joyful at seeing the dog again so Papyrus overcame his own grudges to be happy for her.

"WHAT A SENSATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR A STORY! I CAN SEE THE HEADLINE NOW: "A DOG EXISTS SOMEWHERE." FRANKLY, I'M BLOWN AWAY. ATTENTION, VIEWERS! OUR CORRESPONDENT HAS FOUND… A DOG!" Mettaton exclaimed proudly.

"aww…" Sans reacted appropriately.

"... MEH." Papyrus however couldn't COMPLETELY overcome his grudges to show his support for the dog who had robbed him.

Alice seemed to mutter something under her breath and rolled her eyes. Perhaps she found this story to not be the kind of story she dreamed of reporting. Papyrus could only theorize about the possibilities as Alice had so many different sides to her. Intriguing, intrigued, nice, a bit harsh, sweet, considerate, polite, graceful, spacey, fond of talking to herself, and definitely curious. It was a delight figuring out what she had on her mind whenever he saw her. Although moments later, something shocking happened. Mettaton puts his hands on his head and screeched,

"THAT'S NOT A TAIL! THAT'S… A FUSE!"

Alice's face grew pale and a small flame ignited on the dog's tail.

"AHHH..!" Alice shrieked and took several steps back in reaction to this.

"... ok that's a bit too hardware core." Sans pointed out, slightly confused by how this was possible.

"OH DEAR… NOW HE'S SAYING EVERYTHING IN THE ROOM IS A BOMB! THE PRESENT! THE BASKETBALL! AND EVEN HIS-"

"words?"

"OH MY WORDS!"

BOM BOM BOM BOM! Alice had barely enough time to process this horrible turn of events when four full-length words crashed onto the ground with small explosions. She had found herself in some strange area with several paths and many objects scattered around, only going to the dog because it seemed the most approachable and it looked exactly like the one she had encountered in Snowdin. But to find out it and everything was a bomb set to blow up at a predetermined time was very scary. _Blowing up is a most inadequate way to die,_ Alice thought as she saw Mettaton floating in a snazzy red suit and yellow tie.

"BRAVE CORRESPONDENT… IF YOU DON'T DEFUSE ALL OF THE BOMBS… THIS BIG BOMB WILL BLOW YOU TO SMITHEREENS IN TWO MINUTES! THEN YOU WON'T BE REPORTING "LIVE" ANY LONGER!" Mettaton exclaimed, directing Alice's attention to a big pink bomb with a timer on it.

"I'll give you credit on doing your best to make this trap certain to succeed but I'm irritated you expect me to 'defuse' a bomb when I've hardly even seen or read about them!" Alice complained with her hands on her hips.

"HOW TERRIBLE! HOW DISTURBING! OUR NINE VIEWERS ARE GOING TO LOVE WATCHING THIS! GOOD LUCK, DARLING!" Mettaton chimed in response before flying off.

Alice groaned and was about to start figuring out what should be done first when her phone rang.

"D-don't worry! I installed a bomb-defusing program on your phone! Use the 'defuse' option when the bomb is in the Defuse Zone!" Alphys instructed Alice.

Truthfully this was also very suspicious to Alice. The 'jetpack' on her phone did seem to have practical use in case anyone desired to fly from one place to the other beyond solving that particular puzzle but a bomb defusing program? That seemed rudimentary for a commonplace phone and impractical in any other situation. However, with the time limit placed upon her, Alice knew trying to argue with Alphys about this much too on the nose coincidence would prove fruitless. In fact, she had just come up with an idea on how to make this puzzle be solved in a much easier fashion than Mettaton imposed on her. Alphys's opinion on this proposed solution was key though.

"T-thank you Alphys. I was wondering… if it's possible to gather up all the bombs in one place and then defuse them all one at a time. That'd seem much quicker and more beneficial than running around aimlessly." Alice asked Alphys as she eyed the dog bomb who had waddled over and fell into a nap.

"O-oh…! I never even thought of t-that… although some of the bombs appear to be moving s-so maybe you should tackle those o-on your own and then move the immobile bombs to one location. B-be careful yet make haste…!" Alphys supported Alice's theory and hung up.

 _Curious she didn't ask how I intended to do this,_ Alice thought. Realistically if anyone was told a plan by someone, their next statement would presumably be how they would carry out this plan. Although the little girl remembered that the Royal Scientist had been tracking her movements for quite awhile. That was a very significant amount of information to be giving about Alice's actions and so Alphys presumably knew right away what Alice was intending to do and that's why she hadn't asked. Alice focused her DETERMINATION in the hopes of creating a number of allies that could help her gather the bombs around the area into one place. Bipedal, flower-like creatures seemed to blossom from the ground, golden in their tone. They possessed two googly eyes, fuzzy hair, and no arms but there were many of them. These were the Momeraths, creatures from Alice's Wonderland who were of a very supportive nature. They knew how to navigate, they could work together to solve tasks, and they seemed to be the best candidates for defusing the bombs. Also they happened to be mentioned by 'Alice' in the dream she had so Alice felt that this was some sort of hint that 'she' had given her. As the flock of Momeraths huddled around Alice, the little girl quickly gave them her directions.

"Please, I need you all to seek out any bombs that you may find in the area and bring them here. It is key to have them all in the same place for a quicker and easier time defusing the bombs. If there are any ones that are too difficult to attain, please alert me as soon as possible. We haven't a time to waste!" Alice used her hands and her voice to express the urgency of the situation.

The Momeraths nodded eagerly and quickly proceeded to spread out into different areas. Alice could trust her DETERMINATION by now to function on its own so it left her the freedom to roam into the area in front of her. There were a basketball and an extremely agile glass of water flying about the area as well as the menacing pink bomb Mettaton described. Granted Alice wasn't sure how either of them could be flying without momentum from an outside force but that wasn't important. Pulling out her phone, she was able to find the Defuse function Alphys had described and triggered it. Astonishingly, a green field formed in front of the phone like a cone and Alice was shown directions that could allow her to defuse the bomb with a press of the button as long as it was within this field. _So it's a timing based puzzle,_ Alice realized. Alice carefully watched for the basketballs bouncing movements to fly toward the green zone and pressed the button as soon as it was within the lines. Fortunately, Alice's time was on point and the bomb was defused and fell to the ground harmlessly. The little girl smiled before noticing the water glass had disappeared. That was when her phone rang for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"Great job! Head for the center! I'm using, uh, EM fields to trap the glass of water there!" Alphys announced.

"... I see." Alice replied, genuinely not interested in what 'EM' meant at the moment.

Returning to the center area with about 100 seconds to spare, she found the water glass lying on the ground as well as the dog from earlier but the Momeraths had yet to return. Still she did have two more things to defuse so she figured she could get through these first. Luckily the dog moved rather slowly and swayed gently from side to side… despite somehow being asleep. She was able to defuse it within a few seconds. The water glass proved to be a bit trickier as Alice had to attempt twice to get it to defuse but she managed. 85 seconds left. Maybe I should've done this on my own… the Momeraths seem to be taking too much time. Alice couldn't help but worry as her life was on the long but as she turned around, she noticed that the Momeraths were returning in split groups. They held a present, a script, and a game tightly in their combined mass. Held tightly, Alice realized this was exactly what she wanted and smiled at her safety being all but guaranteed. She defused them one right after the other with a good amount of time to spare. As Alice wiped her forehead, Mettaton returned to the area from the sky.

"WELL DONE, DARLING! YOU'VE DEACTIVATED ALL OF THE BOMBS! IF YOU DIDN'T-"

"I believe you've already addressed the possibilities of what might've happened had I failed. Now will you please leave me be? Your tricks are getting very old!" Alice interrupted Mettaton with an aggravated complaint.

"OHH BUT YOU MISSED THE POINT I WAS ABOUT TO MAKE. AND THE PUNCHLINE. VERY WELL, IN TWO SECONDS YOU'LL LEAVE THIS WORLD! GOODBYE, DARLING!" Mettaton retaliated with a shocking reveal.

Alice flinched and felt as though she hadn't the energy or commitment to scream for her final moments. Two seconds indeed passed, but nothing happened. Alice looked around slowly before ultimately groaning and causing the Momeraths to disappear. She was also finding these close calls to be very old.

"AH. IT SEEMS THE BOMB ISN'T GOING OFF." Mettaton replied so flatly it was as if he had counted on something like this to happen.

"That's b-because! While you were monologuing and having Alice interrupt you… I…! I f… fix… Um… I ch-change…" Alphys's confidence melted away as she struggled with the phrasing.

"...?" Alice didn't even know why Alphys was struggling with this statement but decided that there was no reason to question this either.

"OH NO. YOU DEACTIVATED THE BOMB WITH YOUR HACKING SKILLS." Mettaton spoke even more flatly.

"... Wait a moment-" Alice suddenly felt there was something fishy with Mettaton's responses.

"CURSES! IT SEEMS I'VE BEEN FOILED AGAIN! CURSE YOU, ALICE! CURSE YOU, DR. ALPHYS, FOR HELPING SO MUCH! BUT I DON'T CURSE MY EIGHT WONDERFUL VIEWERS FOR TUNING IN! UNTIL NEXT TIME, DARLING!" Mettaton proceeded to fly off once again.

"Oh Mettaton! Oh Mr. Mettaton!" Alice this time pleaded towards Mettaton to come back as she was now wondering about something troublesome regarding his behavior.

However the robot gave her no indication of having heard her and disappeared into the sky. Alice was left feeling frustrated and a bit awkward as Alphys continued to ramble on… Meanwhile, two of the viewers from Snowdin had finished watching the report and had a lot to talk about. Or at least one of them had a lot to talk about while the other one descended down the stairs again, this time carrying a piece of clothing they often wore. The one seated on the couch shut off the T.V and put his hands to his face as his eyes twinkled.

"WOW! I KNEW ALICE WOULD DO IT! SHE'S AMAZING! A GODDESS! *SNIFF* SHE'LL PIONEER THE FUTURE OF PUZZLES AND PUZZLE SOLVING! SANS WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" Papyrus's doting speech derailed when he noticed his brother throwing on his hoodie dramatically and heading to the exit.

Normally this wouldn't be unusual for either brothers routine but this was unusually early for Sans to be leaving for sentry duty. Normally Sans liked to go at the very last minute, seeing as he could often get there by the very last second. Or that's how the other monsters seemed to describe his ability to multi-task and yet somehow multi-slack. Also Sans didn't seem to look at Papyrus despite having been addressed. Lastly, Sans also seemed a bit tense as he paused at the door after Papyrus spoke to him, gripping the doorknob. After a shrug, Sans opened the door.

"i got to attend to business. I'll be home late. please don't worry about anything " Sans reply was unusually blunt and he slammed the door as he left.

"... SANS?"

Alice sighed with a huff after having gotten off the phone with Alphys. Alphys had admitted to feeling a lot more confident about guiding her, even if it felt more like completely babying her and manipulating her movements like a puppeteer at this point. She had seemed so proud of herself though and had indeed come in handy protecting her from that puzzle so Alice had to endure it. Alice was a proud little girl though and somehow she knew that something wasn't right with any of Alphys's actions or even Mettaton's unusual kinship with Alphys. Everything seemed so rehearsed now and also so trivial and frustrating. At least with Undyne and Papyrus they made it clear what they were doing and how they would go about doing it. Here… it was like some sort of improv or performance for an audience much like the one Mettaton was constantly calling 'darlings'.

"All I would desire now is some actual rest again." Alice confessed with a sigh.

Continuing on in the next area, Alice noticed that the view of the Core was present in the background. Yet this time it was much closer and much more intimidating than the previous instance Alice had seen it. Alice had to wonder though what it was like inside. Was it a factory? Or perhaps something futuristic with things like refrigerators inside? It just seemed like a massive place of mystery to Alice and she was hoping to find out more by arriving there. At that moment though, the phone rang again.

"Ngh… hello?" Alice looked visibly pained as she forced herself to answer it, this chain she could hold in her hand.

"Um… I noticed you've been kind of quiet… Are you w-worried about meeting ASGORE…?" Alphys asked in such an innocent tone that it seemed to hurt Alice even more.

"I haven't even been able to think about Asgore as I haven't had a moment's peace of thought since you started calling and text me like some repetitive joke!"

"... Oh. I-I-I guess I've been talking a bit too much haven't I…? Do you want to-"

"Perhaps after this call. I'm willing to listen to you now but you MUST cut down on these interruptions Dr. Alphys. I'm losing my patience." Alice vented in a way that she hoped was ladylike.

Alphys appeared to take a deep breath on the other line, perhaps a bit frazzled by Alice's hostility. In Alice's mind though, it was to be expected that anyone would get frustrated from being constantly called or reminded of some unimportant message made by someone else. What she did was very natural for what she assumed was a thing for those who owned phones. It even made her a bit sympathetic for Toriel who probably would've been the only one to handle and maybe even appreciate this sort of electric attention. Alphys spoke a bit more calmly and composedly,

"I-I'll make my best efforts to not disrupt your journey… as I was saying… you don't h-have to worry about Asgore… T-the king is a really nice guy… I'm sure you can talk with him, and… W-with your human soul, you can pass through the barrier!"

Now it was Alice's turn to feel a bit guilty. What Alphys said seemed to imply Alphys was trying to encourage Alice to escape for herself rather than try to break the barrier for everyone in the Underground. It was true that Alice hadn't 100% made it clear to the Royal Scientist that was her current intention but it was almost as if Alphys wasn't confident that she could find that solution and was just trying to urge Alice to find her freedom. Then there was what she said about Asgore. It was such a distinct contrast between Toriel's view of the king and Alphys's view of the king. She remembered how severe Toriel thought of him when she had tried to urge Alice to stay.

' _Yes… he is the king… and he will show no mercy…'_

"... A-Alphys. I sincerely hate to question your friendships, but how do you know that? After all, you were entrusted with a once in a lifetime responsibility by his majesty and you are even in love with him. Couldn't you say that means your opinion is more favorable of him than unfavorable? He killed six children already… what force could possibly stop him from taking my soul, the last soul he needs?" Alice asked sincerely and softly.

There was a long silence.

"... I-In some ways though… he's shown a lot of mercy t-to some of us… no matter w-what some of us have done… or what w-we've caused… he's looked out for us all… a-and if you were to speak to him… I-I'd imagine he'd look to you and let you have your say…" Alphys spoke up with some uncertainty present in her words.

"... Alphys…"

"A-Alice I… I know that t-the feeling is h-hard… b-but… you are amazing to m-me… and I know you are someone t-that can change people's minds… s-so no worrying, OK? J-just forget about it and smile." Alphys tried her best to comfort Alice before hanging up.

Unfortunately this comfort only made Alice feel a bit more guilt. Namely on how she was trying to spin straw into gold with this attempt to find another solution to break the barrier and seek the counsel of Asgore when Toriel and common sense warned her against it. Even if Alphys had shown solid evidence of Asgore being what she described him as, the temptation to finally have the seventh soul needed to break the barrier seemed much too strong for anyone in that position to resist. The Queen of Hearts temper always flared out because it gave her a sense of authority and the fear on everyone's faces empowered her tyrannical position even more. Once you had something going, you had to keep it going for the better. In fact this was a much more merciful and positive example with Asgore than it was for the Queen of Hearts as this would free a whole race of people from imprisonment. Not to mention the fact that there seemed to be no one in the Underground besides Alice thinking of other solutions. They only had one solution and seemed incapable of fathoming another. Ultimately, Alice found another elevator as she finished her depressing brainstorm, one entitled 'L2'. Entering inside, she went to the unexplored 'Left Floor 3' and waited till it reached its destination.

"... Clock gears?" Alice asked as that was the first detail that caught her eye.

In the background, maroon gears spun stoically and even the path appeared to be a rich purple carpet. It looked very unnatural as though she had entered someone's house as opposed to another area of Hotland. There were even red, orange, and yellow lines streamlining the path. All in all it created an air of luxury or elegance that made Alice even more curious. What part of Hotland could this be? She asked herself. Continuing down the path, she soon got her answer. In a rather big room, spider webs marked parts of the wall and path, much like in the Ruins where she had gotten the Spider Donut. But what was clearly the standout of the room was a table with a pink and white checkered cloth, holding a croissant and a donut on it. A sign was to its right and behind the table… was perhaps the most elaborate monster Alice had seen so far. A six-armed spider with lavender skin, five eyes, two black pigtails held with two ribbons, and two legs. Their red outfit appeared very feminine with pantaloons at the bottom, buttons in the front, a red ribbon across her chest, as well as two more ribbons in her hair. She appeared to be lithe yet delicate, graceful yet haunting, youthful yet wise and captivated Alice in a way that Wonderland did.

"E-excuse me but… what is your name?" Alice asked as she approached her.

"Ahuhuhuhu! Why, what a lovely little fly has entered the parlor!~ A human! Welcome to our parlor, dearie~ Interested in some spider pastries? All proceeds go to real spiders." The spider cackled sweetly as she spoke to Alice.

Alice wasn't sure what to make of this. The spider had ignored her question but indeed seemed to speak in a way that those in England would've said. She sounded very sweet, like a little girl but spoke in a sophisticated fashion and with a sly air about her. Also what she had advertised sounded much like the bake sale Alice had found in the Ruins. This could only mean there was a connection between this spider monster and those spiders in the Ruins who had sold the baked goods. Alice decided to ask her a bit more clearly and confidently,

"Thank you for offering but I am full for now. My name is Alice and I was wondering if you acquainted with some spiders in the Ruins. They too were offering baked pastries made by spiders for spiders."

"Oh? Goodness me! I see that you made their acquaintances.~ Spiders have been trapped in the RUINS for generations! Even if they go under the door, Snowdin's fatal cold is impassable alone. That's why we are holding these bake sales. To make enough funds to transport them safely through the ice and snow.~ Did you contribute to the cause? Ahuhuhuhu~" The spider monster eyed Alice as she told a rather sad story.

"Well… I did buy one of your Spider Donuts. It was simply delicious! Fit for a tea party. I do trust that the proceeds made it to you successfully afterward?" Alice asked as she eyed the donut on the table with a mix of satisfaction and disgust.

"Why yes it did! Oh how marvelous and generous of you~ Alice, you most certainly will be a customer to remember~ My name is Muffet~ I look forward to seeing you come back again sometime." Muffet winked charmingly at Alice as she thanked her for her patronage.

"O-oh yes! I'd very much like that." Alice curtsied in an embarrassed rush as she had been so mystified by Muffet's demeanor that she had forgotten to do so when she had introduced herself.

It was so ladylike and poised. Truly Muffet was a dignified lady that even her sister would've enjoyed meeting and it gave Alice great reassurance to have a connection with someone that understood etiquette and proper behavior in such a natural way. Not that Toriel wasn't proper in her own way but Muffet embodied more of Alice's way or at least the way her sister had instructed her to do since childhood. Most curious though was her name, the same as that of the nursery rhyme Little Miss Muffet. That rhyme had most definitely featured a spider who sat down besides the frightened little girl and as such, the coincidence of the precise naming had not evaded Alice. It also made Alice genuinely curious as to who had named Muffet after her seeing as it seemed unlikely for that nursery rhyme to have been around as long as Muffet had been. Or was it the other way around? _Is there even a difference between monster and human lifespans,_ Alice thought. Either way, Alice wondered if she was being rude to Muffet by standing in front of her table thinking to herself and so she made her way quickly. However she stopped by a monster who appeared to be a cat in a yellow coat and yellow shoes, holding a donut and looking… distraught? Shocked? Embarrassed?

"S-sir is something the matter?" Alice asked as she took in how he held the donut low to the ground as if he analyzing it as opposed to preparing to eat it.

"I… I… I ended up buying a donut… I… I… I didn't want to, but that girl… even though I told her no, she… … kept staring at me in this creepy way and licking her lips. N… now I'm outta cash." The monster spoke, sounding as if he had just seen a tragic accident unfold in front of him.

Slightly disturbed, Alice turned to look at Muffet again. Muffet was rubbing her hands together eagerly and indeed she was licking her lips. Although it seemed once she noticed Alice's gaze, she flinched and then proceeded to wave hello to Alice in a friendly manner. It was a very quick transition between two different expressions but Alice appreciated that Muffet was showing how much she trusted her already or at least liked her. Although she had to admit that it was probable the monster was not wrong about Muffet being subtly enticing or at least threatening. It was the sort of threatening that many sellers had to employ to get people to buy goods whether it was subtle or doting or aggressive. Muffet definitely appeared to be the subtle sort. Alice merely patted the monster's back and said,

"Well look on the bright side of all this. You were able to assist some spiders in a faraway place gain the funds to hopefully move somewhere better."

"I… I… I get that but, now I need to pay my bills soon…" They responded.

"... Err… I-I'll get back to you on that…" Alice awkwardly responded.

 _Maybe if I free the Underground there'll be no need for bills,_ she thought in a flustered optimism. She then proceed to peer at the webs where spiders were offering the same baked goods from the Ruins at… extremely elevated prices. Alice's eyes widened as she processed the absurdity of the increase in costs. Granted Hotland seemed like a more wealthy place but even then it seemed unlike, say the Royal Guards, to spend this much for anything. Somehow Alice found this kind of funny or at least inspiring that Muffet was so passionate about saving the spiders in the Ruins that she would raise the prices to levels that would surely guarantee success, even if it was not very practical. Alice then checked the sign which was about the same as the one from the Ruins. With nothing more to do, the little girl carried on into this new and somewhat enchanting area of Hotland. However, what she did not know as she carried on her way was that behind her back, a figure approached Muffet…

To Be Continued...


	24. Spider and the Rocking Horsefly

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 23 Spider and the Rocking Horsefly

Upon reaching the next area, Alice was dismayed to find there to be a great deal of arrow squares arranged in a grid. An upper and lower path signified the destinations Alice needed to get to though from the looks of it, it'd be a long and tricky road to navigate. Alice was relieved that she hadn't had an update from Alphys yet which meant the Royal Scientist was respecting her request for less interruptions. Gearing herself up with a few stretches, Alice began to leap to and fro from arrow square to arrow square, moving with grace and precision as she mentally mapped out what path she needed to go. Ultimately, she managed to reach the upper path when suddenly, a new monster interfered. It had a fairly straightforward appearance of a body composed of what looked like wires or rope, shaped like a tornado, a strange black head with a Cheshire Cat grin, three wavy white 'hairs', and flames surrounding it and burning brightly. It stood on two shoes and seemed to have no arms and already Alice was feeling warmer with it around than before. It turns out this monster was known as Pyrope and bounded towards Alice and it was a mischievous monster that was never warm enough.

"With a burning flame for a head I can't imagine why it wouldn't already be hot enough." Alice murmured to herself.

"Is it cold in here?" The Pyrope talked with a froggy voice, almost as though it did indeed have a cold.

Suddenly, small bombs descended down on the area, bouncing before triggering small explosions in a wide radius. Luckily they were fairly slow once they bounced, giving Alice ample time to dodge them successfully. Alice noticed there was a switch present in the area now that could probably turn up the heat and seemed to be a choice that would make Pyrope feel better. So as Pyrope was pretending to be a candle, Alice cranked up what was apparently called a thermostat. Pyrope began to get excited.

"Hot! HOT! Hotter! HOTTER!" Pyrope sounded a lot less froggy as it bellowed dramatically.

After another rain of small bombs, Alice realized it started to feel as hot as Hotland in the area. Being used to it, Alice wasn't quite as daunted though was confused as to why everything suddenly seemed fuzzier. Alice continued to crank up the thermostat so that Pyrope would feel fully comfortable and satisfied. As the area suddenly became super hot and Alice began to sweat, Pop continued to cry out for more heat though sounded a lot more cheerful and all traces of frogginess absent from its voice. After dodging the last wave of bombs, Alice sighed and spared Pyrope, watching it hop away much to her relief. With the area far cooler than before, Alice noticed an entranceway that looked a lot like the puzzle rooms from earlier involving shooting things.

"It must mean I have to unlock something again." She said to herself as she stepped into the room.

Indeed there were the same controls, blocks, arrow-shaped target, style, and layout of the previous rooms in Hotland. This time the blocks were moving in a synchronized timing that actually was reminiscent of a dance. With only one ammo available this time, Alice made sure to bade her time and await the moment a path to the target was available. After about a good minute, Alice saw her opportunity and fired. A direct hit sealed the target into nothingness and a blue 'Congratulations' indicated she had succeeded. Granted Alice wasn't sure what she had just unlocked so she realized she needed to go through the arrow square maze again. When she exited the room, she suddenly gasped. There were two figures who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere but more than likely had shown up while she was tackling the puzzle. One had a diamond shaped head whereas the other one was shaped more like a kite. The diamond-shaped monster had a red cap, pink skin, a slightly brighter pink shirt with no sleeves, pants, and black shoes. The kite-shaped monster was green-skinned in a very light shade with a purple short-sleeved shirt, blue overalls, and black boots.

"Oh! Hello there…" Alice greeted both of them as she waved in a friendly manner.

"Hello, hello(TM). My favorite Mettaton Moment(TM)? Right when everything looks like the baddest, he poses dramatically. Like when he's on a cooking show and the eggs don't turn out right." The pink one said.

"Pose dramatically? You mean as though taking a photograph?" Alice inquired.

"Totally(TM)! My favorite Mettaton Moment(TM) is when he beats up the heel-turning villains! Even if it's during what's supposed to be a quiz show." The green one finished.

"Heel-turning? Um… well I suppose one could say I turned a heel towards him but even then the posing thing seems strange." Alice said, trying to stir a conversation to get more information.

"His poses are daring and bold! Granted it's a Mettaton Exclusive(TM) so you don't see them as often as you'd think." The pink one said.

Alice nodded in agreement, thinking that it made sense that the reason she hadn't seen Mettaton pose was because of what this pink monster said. It also hinted that there were even more tricks Mettaton had up his… limbs than she had given him credit for. All of it made Alice a little antsy and she returned to the arrow square maze to challenge it again. After another round of hopping, the little girl reached the south side where she found two conveyer belts in opposite directions. One of the conveyer belts had several blue lasers in the way so Alice made sure to stand as still as could be. Motionlessly yet in motion, Alice succeeded in making it through unscathed and found another puzzle room along this brief path. This layout seemed a bit more constricted than the last one but ultimately Alice found an opportunity to shoot the target quicker and hit it successfully. _I must say that this type of puzzle is quite fun from the usual logic puzzle,_ Alice thought as she connected with the action involved. After receiving another 'Congratulations' and getting on board the conveyer belt going back, she noticed a rather elegant cactus growing on the side. She was able to get a whiff of the beautiful yellow blossoms with green leaves just as she zoomed past. The scent was rather spicy and quite strong in her eyes and didn't seem quite proper for tea.

"I do hope we're almost done with these arrow squares." Alice lamented to herself as she was beginning to feel tired of being propelled constantly like a catapult.

Ultimately she finally reached the opposite side from where she initially started and was startled to see a large and foreboding purple door with green gems that glowed and seemed to have been attached to the door. What caused her to gasp was it suddenly opening as she approached, perhaps due to her solving the puzzles in the north and south sides. Upon stepping into the area she felt herself bombarded with the smell of cobwebs. It filled Alice with determination though also a bit of curiousity. Was she about to enter Muffet's home? It did seem plausible that she'd have her business close to home and the sight of the rather enchanting strings of web hanging from the ceiling and purple wall with a small, tunnel-shaped door gave that impression.

"Actually this reminds me of the area in which I had pursued the White Rabbit in the beginning of my dream…" Alice said with some surprise.

Indeed she had remembered how she had to open numerous doors that grew smaller in size before crawling her way into the larger room in which she ended up meeting the Doorknob. The small size and even impression and color tone seemed strangely familiar. This was more of a comfort to Alice than a warning sign and she composed herself easily. Without a moment to waste, the little girl crawled daintily into the room. The room was a little more haunting but still had a sense of beauty to it. Much more solid webs hung from the ceiling in addition to beautifully lit strands and a few small spiders could be seen hanging down from it. There were also webs on the path which had mysteriously become almost like a bridge. Further down and Alice saw something that confirmed her theory. The path seemed to turn into a bridge made entirely of cobwebs. Ultimately it looked very sticky and suddenly Alice was unsure of how to get through this. But things only got worse as she continued down the path, trying to avoid stepping in the webs.

"Ahuhuhuhu… Did you hear what they just said?" A familiar laugh rang through the halls.

"...! M-Muffet is that you…?" Alice called out to the spiders that were now pulling themselves up out of sight but received no solace.

Rather, this strange monologue continued as Alice kept navigating through the room,

"They said a human wearing an apron and a hair ribbon will come through. I heard they hate spiders."

"Oh no…" Alice whimpered as she found she could no longer ignore the web bridge set before her feet and the increasing concern about what she was hearing.

If it were up to Alice she would likely choose more colorful insects like caterpillars over spiders. Even in Wonderland she had created rather nifty insect species of her own. Bread and butterflies and rocking horseflies, clever play on words that were taken oddly literally in her world of her own. Alice knew that speaking of this aloud would only worsen her chances but thinking about that gave her a brief escape from the growing fear of stepping into what was clearly a trap in the making. _Yet I have no other means of progression,_ Alice thought to herself. Stepping onto the bridge and Alice found it was a step away from being too delicate, yet it did hold. Worse, it was indeed very sticky and Alice had to take some effort to pull her foot off of it. Knowing this was all the preparation she was going to get, she began to tread through the web bridge but was alarmed to see that the web itself seemed to be spreading above her feet…

"I heard they love to stop them. I heard they like to tear their legs off. I heard…"

At this last break of conversation, Alice was now in hysterics. She was completely immobilized by the web, the threads having reached her arms and made it difficult for her to even try to pry away from them. With her legs restricted, she was stuck in place and as much as she struggled, they showed no signs of giving in. Alice was genuinely quite scared for her life at this point. After all, anything caught in a spider's web was doomed to a gruesome fate.

"M-Muffet…! Wait! A-all those are simply not true…! I've never once harmed any of the spiders in the Ruins a-and…! P-please let me goooooooo…!" Alice pleaded, trying to look for any sign of the pastry chef.

Ultimately, something seemed to shine to her left and Alice took a fearful glance to that direction. There was Muffet, standing prim and proper but also haughtily on what looked like a stage made of cobwebs. She held two teapots and two cups with four of her six arms and had an expression Alice couldn't read in her fearful state. Several spiders descended from the ceiling and Alice also noticed fearfully that a few had gotten their way onto the bridge. Alice whimpered and looked at Muffet with a horrified expression. _Why is she doing this…?_

"... that they're awfully stingy with their money. Ahuhuhuhuhu… you think you're taste is too refined for our pastries, don't you, deary?" Muffet spoke, fiddling her hands in a way that a powerful leader might do.

"N-no…! Why I've-" Alice's desperate cry was cut off so quickly that she was afraid these were her last moments.

"Ahuhuhu… I disagree with that notion. I think your taste… is just what this next batch needs!" Muffet raised an arm to her mouth and chuckled playfully as she finished what sounded like a death sentence to Alice.

Alice found herself trapped by Muffet but it seemed she was allowed to fight for her life much like with Undyne and the others. Nonetheless, with her movements restricted, this was going to be a very tough engagement. When analyzing her, Alice was given some good advice. If she invites you to her parlor, excuse yourself. Normally Alice would've agreed but she had a genuine conversation with Muffet not that long ago. How could things have changed so rapidly that Muffet had such a negative opinion of the little girl so quickly? It was at that moment though that Alice noticed a golden sheen that seemed to grow stronger behind her. She recognized it as her DETERMINATION but yet this was the first time it had emerged so reactively… Before Alice could get a closer look, Muffet spoke,

"Don't look so blue, my deary~"

Then a stream of an unusual purple tea surged from the two teapots she held delicately. Alice was fearful of how hot or cold they might be and screamed in fear. It was at that moment though when a cloud of golden smoke emerged from behind Alice, slightly obscuring her vision and surging forth. It seemed to collide with the purple tea and blocked its progress, causing it to drip down into the abyss beyond the bridge. Alice at first felt a great sense of relief but then confused as she tried to pin down what this was coming from and who was responsible. At that moment though, she felt a few concentrated puffs of smoke pass through her body. They spelled out 'O' 'R' 'U'. Alice gasped with some amazement as she noticed the cobwebs constricting her body seemed to vaporize from the smoke, freeing her. There was an instantaneous knowledge of who was responsible for this and Alice turned around to see him. The Caterpillar. It was a very large one with an unusual almost curved shape and slightly obese. With 3 pairs of hands and 3 pairs of feet with distinctly arabian-looking shoes and a big bottom, it was idly smoking a hookah pipe and sitting upon a mushroom stand but it's focus was entirely on Muffet. Muffet's body language did seem to indicate some surprise though she chuckled cheerfully.

"Oh my… a caterpillar has been caught in my web~ It's been much too long. Very well, you can also join the next batch." She remarked.

It was that moment though when a spider descended down from the ceiling right beside Muffet, holding what appeared to be a notecard. Muffet took immediate notice of this and looked closely at the card.

"Huh? A telegram from the spiders in the RUINS? What? They're saying that they saw you, and… you helped donate to their cause!" She remarked with a sudden joy in her voice.

Alice realized this must've been when she first bought a Spider Donut from the stand. Granted had Alice known they were made of spiders at the time she likely would've passed on the opportunity to buy one, but she was amazed at how the spiders reported this to Muffet. She never imagined spiders would have such a strong memory or the thoughtfulness to let Muffet know of customers who came by and bought their goods. Based on Muffet's softening gesture, Alice was certain this was news that was painting a positive picture of her. Alice nodded in agreement, still feeling a bit too intimidated to speak as she was on the verge of being scorched with tea.

"Oh my, this has all been a big misunderstanding~ I thought you were someone who hated spiders~ The person who asked for that SOUL… They must have meant a DIFFERENT human in an apron~" Muffet explained.

"Wait… someone approached you to take my SOUL? Who was it…?" Alice asked.

"Oh they offered us a LOT of money for your SOUL. Or rather, their SOUL~. What was particularly odd is I swore I saw them in the shadows… Changing shape…?"

Alice didn't know any of the economic situation in the Underground so she wasn't sure who had a lot of money. Also she didn't really know of any shapeshifters either and the only few she could imagine wanting her SOUL were either reformed like Papyrus, left behind like Undyne, or had unknown whereabouts like Flowey and Chara. The possibility of it being Mettaton though seemed high as he was currently after her and according to his self-made image was quite the star. Such a star would surely have a lot of wealth from his salary but so far Alice had only seen him as a metallic, rolling T.V. _He does seem to put on different outfits though,_ Alice reasoned, _perhaps that's what Muffet is referring to?_ Either way, Alice wanted to make sure she was safe first before prying further details so she spoke to Muffet,

"I'll take it you are forgiving me?"

"Why yes Alice. I'm terribly sorry for this silly mistake I made. I'll make it up to you~ You can come back here any time… and for no charge at all… I'll wrap you up and let you play with my pet! Ahuhuhuhuhuhu~ Just Kidding~ I'll SPARE you now." Muffet giggled charmingly as she lowered her guard to Alice.

Alice smiled happily and even the Caterpillar seemed much more at ease as Alice did just that. As Muffet seemed poised to leave though, Alice got an idea. She was still a bit tense from the whole encounter thus far and she wanted to leave on a good note with Muffet. Also the idea of having some more treats would be quite useful for the journey home. So Alice made an offer,

"Um Muffet? Perchance, are you one for hosting tea parties?"

"Hmm? Why do you ask dearie?" Muffet remarked.

"I was just thinking it'd be quite lovely to relax and enjoy some of your finest tea and treats for a short while. If that's alright with you." Alice cleared her throat and spoke gently.

"Why, that sounds like quite a lovely idea. Plus it's nearly lunchtime~ I have to feed my pet soon and company's always appreciated. Very well, allow me to set things up~" Muffet said with great enthusiasm as she seemed to discard the tea pots and tea cups she was holding in an amusing fashion.

Muffet leapt gracefully over to the spider bridge where Alice stood and landed daintily. Alice set herself gently upon the spiderweb as Muffet pulled out an ornate tea set with the china being of unusually vivid hues and with a spiderweb design. There was also a plate of freshly baked Spider Donuts which at this point appealed to Alice's appetite despite the ingredients. The Caterpillar rested itself idly upon its mushroom stand and blew some transparent gold haze from its hookah pipe. This all served to create a fantastical and fairy-tale esque setting for a tea party. Muffet ultimately sat down on her end of the tea set and began to pour some tea into the teacups. Alice looked at the blend in curiousity, recognizing it was not the same as the Golden Flower tea that had been served to her at Sans and Papyrus's house as it had a different aroma. It was pleasantly sweet yet rich, like some sort of decadent chocolate bar and vanilla. Alice was very eager to try it but felt it was more polite to engage a conversation first with Muffet. _I wonder if she may know anything regarding what has happened down here before and after I arrived,_ Alice pondered to herself.

"So Muffet? There's been something I've been meaning to ask… well, anybody since I've heard about all the things and events that have transpired down here. Are you acquainted with the events of the Underground?" Alice asked as she waited patiently for Muffet to finish pouring the tea.

"An excellent question~ To tell you the truth dearie, I myself am not one to search for rumors and tales down here. I do have a duty to raise money for the spiders trapped in the ruins and bake my goodies after all~ The spiders are more than likely the ones with some information and they have told me several curious tales." Muffet said as she finished pouring the teacup closest to her.

"Do you recall any historical events that were important to you? For instance, why were the spiders trapped in the Ruins whereas you moved onto Hotland?" Alice tried to phrase her question in a way that didn't seem impolite.

Muffet, who was about to pour some of the fragrant tea into another cup, paused. She didn't seem troubled in her expression but rather like she was thinking. She quickly shook her head and spoke,

"I'm afraid that was a sad state of affairs. I was still exploring the Underground with the other monsters and brought a few spiders with me. Snowdin was lovely but much too chilly for any of the spiders to traverse on their own. I was lucky enough to have companions to warm me up~ Hotland was the perfect spot though for us spiders and we settled here. Alas, we knew there was no way of escorting the spiders left in the Ruins the way I had done it without causing a scene. So I started a baking business that's been rising in popularity in the hopes of raising enough money to save them~"

"... That's very noble of you Muffet, to show such care for your brethren. Did they hear anything of perhaps a family living in the Ruins or humans in the Ruins?" Alice asked, touched but desperate for a chance at deeper information.

"Hmm… I can't say my spiders talk much about any juicy morsels that aren't baked goods or interesting customers… or if they did I don't remember~ Spiders tend to be very single-minded. Ahuhuhuhu~ I can say though that they do sometimes mention a monster they see from time to time in the Ruins. They say she's a very lonely individual but is possibly a better baker than me. Although she likes to use snails which I would never consider~" Muffet chuckled.

 _So she's vaguely familiar with Toriel,_ Alice realized. Unfortunately it didn't seem like she would know then about Chara or the goat boy or perhaps Toriel's status beyond that. To Alice's surprise however, Muffet continued,

"They sometimes see her grieve alone or often converse with someone towards the entrance to Snowdin. A very sweet fellow they say~ With terrible taste in humor. Buuuut spiders do have their own tastes, maybe he's just more sophisticated than we are~ Ahuhuhuhu…"

"I think it's somewhere in between those two theories if I may be frank." Alice admitted.

It seemed as though Toriel's activities were being witnessed by these spiders Muffet knew and it also seemed as though she did have moments of sadness. Toriel had indeed broken down when Alice had made her decision to leave the Ruins and so it made Alice imagine that's what she did when she grieved. The question remained though as to why she was grieving. Grimly, Alice thought about the idea that it may very well have something to do with the goat boy that she was increasingly convinced was her son. It very well meant that he was dead by now and his death had affected Toriel strongly and was still always on her mind. It also seemed to confirm why Toriel continued to try to look after the children who fell down into the Underground… only to see them all die. Just like that goat boy seemingly had.

"..." Alice suddenly felt a great rush of grief and sorrow as she began to fully understand the pain Toriel must've went through.

"Dearie, I think you should try the tea. It'll cheer you up~" Muffet optimistically offered as she gestured towards Alice's cup.

Alice looked over to Muffet weakly, still in a grim mindset but appreciative of her generosity. Whatever had happened to Toriel was so much more worse than what had happened to herself. Toriel lost her own child, then lost children she tried to take care of as her own, and then finally she-

"Fwoooooooo" The sound of something blowing gently cut through the pain.

It turned out it was the DETERMINATION Caterpillar who had blew, perhaps the first time one of Alice's creations had made a sound of it's own. A haze of gold smoke blew into Alice's face, gently but still forcefully enough to cause Alice to inhale it. The little girl entered a small coughing fit as she waved her hands to send the cloud away. It cleared her mind of any thoughts that weren't ' _that was rather rude'_. As she gathered her bearings with the haze disappearing, she realized that maybe there was a deeper meaning to what the caterpillar had just done. Perhaps it was trying to tell her to stop overthinking things or to appreciate this tea party over trying to analyze the conversation. Thinking of it being done for the first motive meant that it may have been a warning that she was being distracted from what was the most significant information. The second motive suggested that the caterpillar simply wanted to see Alice enjoy the tea party that she had just earned instead of trying to stress herself with intellectual thinking. The second motive seemed the most believable and it was true that Alice was being a bit too frantic. It was especially unbecoming of her to do so right in front of Muffet who was the epitome of a refined lady. Alice swallowed her pride and spoke,

"Y-you're absolutely right Muffet. I've been pestering you with questions without even trying your tea."

Alice then gracefully took a sip from her teacup as the Caterpillar appeared to nod at her idly. Instantly she was hit by a very beautiful and dramatically different flavor than the last tea she had been served. It was a beautiful black tea, with a creamy chocolatey essence, a vanilla flavor, something fairly bitter but was softened with a familiar Spider Donut taste. It was extremely elegant and tasted similar to that of a cake or pastry chef's masterpiece and was surprisingly accurate to Muffet's occupation. Alice couldn't help but admire this tea and added it subconsciously to her 'to get the recipe; list. Muffet seemed to have saw Alice's expression of satisfaction for herself and explained,

"This is one of my most famous tea blends. A delicate Tiramisu tea blend, based on the Italian dessert of lore~ I've sweetened it though with a touch of Spider Donut goodness and a single drop of water from a spider's web since I imagine you have a sweet-tooth."

"Oh Muffet… I'm not sure I've ever had a Tiramisu but if it is as decadent and marvelous as this tea is I would simply love to try it." Alice said in great appreciation.

"Ahuhuhuhu~ If we can find a beautiful Italian bakery, then certainly. On that note… I think it's time to feed my beloved pet." Muffet remarked sweetly as she looked over to the side.

Alice recalled Muffet having mentioned a 'pet' and was a tad bit intimidated at the idea of meeting them first hand like this. At the same time though, she sincerely hoped it wasn't some spider as it seemed awfully contradictory and scary for Muffet to have a member of her own kind as a pet. When it emerged however, Alice couldn't withhold her gasp and the shiver creeping up her spine. Crawling up webs that lined the exteriors of the room, what appeared to be a giant cupcake with spider legs poking out of the wrapper skillfully ascended up the silver lines. It had a monstrous face, with beady eyes and large fangs adorned in the 'cake'. The entire scene was rather unsettling though Alice was comforted by Muffet's presence and the fact they had made peace.

"Here you go my pet~" Muffet said as she tossed several of the Spider Donuts into it's large gaping mouth.

It chomped on the donuts with a loud sound but seemed pleased with what it's owner had given them. Alice hesitantly took a sip, trying not to make herself seem prominent to the pet. Muffet caressed it gently and then continued speaking to Alice.

"So Alice, what are you hoping to do here in the Underground?"

"Truthfully you see… I want to try to find a way out of here that can also free all the monsters trapped down here at the same time. I feel they've endured so much that they deserve their freedom." Alice responded.

"Ah~ What a noble goal. Quite a tricky one too~ Ahuhuhuhu… Still, I can tell you're quite a special human. Surely you may be able to have a chance at finding a solution." Muffet remarked sweetly.

"D-do you really think so?" Alice asked, touched by Muffet's support.

"Well I'd love if it was so~ Then maybe the spiders from the RUINS could also be freed from that icy prison at the same time. Granted I'd love to help you but I must run my business after all in the hopes I gather enough donations~ Though it is hard to fashion new recipes with the limited ingredients down here I've gathered a loyal customer base." Muffet said nostalgically.

 _Although that may be because you can be slightly intimidating,_ Alice thought as she remembered the distraught and broke customer she encountered after meeting her. The presence of this giant and somewhat monstrous pet only added to that belief. The two girls continued to speak and discuss all sorts of manners from personal life, to their adventures in the Underground, to refined subjects and some history lessons. The pet eventually crawled down back into the depths, out of sight and sure enough, an half an hour had passed. Alice was quite full from the pleasant meal and tea and she even had a goody bag of a few mini donuts to take home as courtesy of Muffet. She did know it was time to keep going and so she stood up, her Caterpillar dispelled from existence like the other DETERMINATION constructs.

"It's been truly a wonderful time Muffet and one of the best tea parties I've ever been to in all my life. Thank you." Alice curtsied as she spoke.

"It was surely a wonderful time for me too Alice~ I especially loved hearing more about the surface. All the wonderful teas to try~" Muffet stated.

"You… you'd genuinely want to try some of the teas from England?" Alice asked with a sense of awe.

"Why dearie, how could I possibly NOT be excited? You've peaked my curiousity. As well as my pet's.~" Muffet teased sweetly.

"I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Thanks again for your charity. I do hope we can see each other again soon."

"That was fun! See you again, dearie~" Muffet sent Alice on her way with a chuckle.

As the room became shrouded in mysterious darkness, Alice found her movements were no longer restricted by the sticky web. Another door much like the one she had entered through lied ahead and Alice was curious as to what lied on the other side. Muffet had said that the area ahead was related to MTT and her spiders often had seen performances or posters every once in awhile. They seemed to enjoy these performances so Mettaton's talent couldn't be outright denied but Alice was concerned that the robot lied in wait for her on the other side of the door. It was an obvious conclusion but based on how these chases in the Underground had gone so far, it was justified. Feeling rejuvenated and equipped with some more supplies, Alice took her first steps into a new area of Hotland. It was surprisingly purple with a brick wall and a poster hanging on the wall. It was a poster for Mettaton's latest stage performance. 'A tragic tale of two star-crossed lovers, kept apart by the tides of fate…'

"Romeo and Juliet?" Alice inquired as she knew that was a very famous tragic love story.

Alice was quite fond of stories and theater as she found it very entertaining and often times she would find material to think about or idealize in her own imagination. It was also much more visual than her sister's silly pictureless books. Although the time on the poster was very near from the current time, meaning this performance was about to begin soon. Alice wasn't sure if this was going to be a show Mettaton intended to make her a part of or if it was something that everyone else was going to see. _But I can't back down now_ , Alice reassured herself. As she continued on her way, she found herself in an unusually ornate looking area. It was nighttime with visible stars in the sky, elegant silhouettes of houses in the background, and a prominent stone stairway that led into what looked like a palace wall and balcony. A single vine hung elegantly along the walls but then Alice noticed that the stars appeared to be hanging from black string.

"So it isn't the king's castle… it must simply be a stage." Alice remarked.

"OH? THAT HUMAN…" A familiar robotic voice erased any appreciation Alice had for the set design.

Peering up towards the balcony, Alice was caught off-guard by Mettaton shyly peeking from the corner of the balcony with a distinct puffy sleeve being seen. His face was all red and Alice was a bit puzzled by what he was up to.

"COULD IT BE…?" He then came from behind the corner and displayed himself.

He was dressed in a lavish and elegant blue and white gown that sparkled within the light of the area. The only issue was that it was absolutely preposterous to Alice that Mettaton would be wearing such a girlish garment as opposed to something more expected like the chef's outfit from the cooking show. What he said next though was far more flabbergasting.

"...MY ONE TRUE LOVE?" Mettaton spoke in a fond and almost ditzy tone.

"I-I beg your pardon? One true love…? That's out of the question!" Alice reacted angrily.

Not only was the mere implication of them being loves bizarre and offensive to her, but the fact he was adorned in a gown didn't help one single bit. Also it was something her sister would've been incredibly offended over. Suddenly, a beautiful chorus of what appeared to be a harp rang through the air and Mettaton began to descend down the stairs. He held the skirt of his dress up daintily like a queen might and the whole scene would've been quite beautiful if it hadn't been Mettaton. Alice was a bit outraged though from his earlier statement and pointed at him angrily as he arrived to the ground floor.

"In the first place I believe it is now obvious you attempted to sway Muffet into attacking me and-"

"Oh my loveeeee. Please run awayyyyyy. Monster Kinggggg. Forbids your stayyyyy." Mettaton began to sing.

Alice's dismay was even more profound as she heard Mettaton sing shockingly beautifully in front of her. Also the mention of 'Monster King' definitely alerted her to the fact this was King Asgore he was referring to. But the little girl had no intention of being ignored like this as she was being portrayed as something unspeakable.

"Don't ignore me! You have no right to include me in this unusual performance without permission! Let alone accuse me of being your one true love!" She objected strongly.

"They'll put youuuuu. In the dungeonnnnn." Mettaton continued to sing extremely majestically.

Alice then noticed another unusual act of beauty occur. Pretty pink flower petals descended in a rain from somewhere in the 'sky'. Collecting one of the petals in her hands, Alice recognized it as a pink rose. Still, even it could not pacify Alice's growing concerns about her fate and the mention of a 'dungeon'. Alice wondered if she should try to make a break for it or perhaps get Mettaton, dramatically swaying and lifting his arms in tune to the music, to let her go. For some reason, the latter seemed the most justified given how Mettaton was making fun of her. Alice conjured the closest thing she could think of to a battering weapon in her hand. What resulted was a croquet stick made of pure DETERMINATION… and it was a flamingo. Truthfully the Queen of Hearts seemed very fond of putting Wonderland's animals to sport, literally. Even stranger was that the flamingos didn't seem particularly smart and Alice recalled having an extremely hard time getting hers to cooperate in the short game of croquet she played in her dreams. Right now though, the flamingo was cooperating, standing as stiff as a mallet and the little girl approached the serenading robot.

"And then you'll die a loo-OW!" Mettaton winced as he found himself smacked by a hard, feathery object.

The music did not cut off but Mettaton's graceful movements and singing certainly did as Alice bonked him aggressively with the flamingo.

"I've had just about enough of your antics! We are not remotely lovers and are barely acquaintances! You will put this misunderstanding to a halt and perhaps even leave me be!" She demanded angrily and smashed him again.

Mettaton didn't object but rather kept muttering groans of pain and maneuvered around to try to get away from Alice. Ultimately, the flower petals stopped floating down and a shooting star appeared to streak across the 'sky'. Mettaton stopped in place with a groan and yanked the flamingo out of Alice's hands and tossed it aside. The flamingo fluttered off before disappearing from sight. Alice folded her arms and looked at Mettaton harshly as he began to shout,

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! WE ARE NOT LOVERS! YOU COULD AT LEAST PLAY ALONG IN YOUR FINAL MOMENTS OF LIFE! NOW WOULD YOU BE A DEAR AND MOVE TO THIS SPOT?"

Mettaton pointed to the floor, a short distance and a few steps from where Alice was already standing. Alice already knew her answer to that.

"Not at all."

"YOUR FUNERAL. WELL, TOODLES!" Mettaton suddenly exclaimed as he pulled out a small remote control and pushed the button.

Alice could only gasp in horror as she realized Mettaton had played her. He had allowed the beating just so he could get Alice to a certain spot on the stage where a trapdoor revealed itself. Indeed, the question had been a taunt to test Alice if she would listen to him when he was actually telling the truth. Alice couldn't even begin to think of a response as she plummeted downwards.

"Aieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" She shrieked.

Alice crashed a few moments afterward onto familiar-looking Hotland ground. She winced and rubbed her bottom as she noticed a conveyer belt ahead of her. She also quickly noticed Mettaton, flying once more and having followed her down to look down upon her. Alice pointed at him and complained,

"That was a deceptive trick!"

"AND THE AUDIENCE WILL EAT IT UP! OH NO, WHATEVER SHALL I DO? MY EX HAS BEEN CAST AWAY INTO THE DUNGEON! A DUNGEON WITH A PUZZLE SO DASTARDLY, MY… HUMAN WILL SURELY PERISH." Mettaton seemed to be quite blunt as opposed to his previous sweet-sounding serenade.

"Ex…? Well, likely something unimportant." Alice grumbled as she got to her feet to look at the puzzle in question.

It was a chessboard of different colored squares in a variety of shades. It was somewhat similar in layout to one of the puzzles Papyrus had challenged her with in Snowdin Forest. Granted that also meant this one was likely to be much more complicated and less merciful than that one had been. Even Mettaton made it clear,

"O, HEAVENS HAVE MERCY! THE HORRIBLE COLORED TILE MAZE! EACH COLORED TILE HAS ITS OWN SADISTIC FUNCTION. FOR EXAMPLE, A GREEN TILE SOUNDS A NOISE, AND THEN YOU MUST FIGHT A MONSTER. RED TILES WILL… ACTUALLY, WAIT A SECOND. DIDN'T WE SEE THIS PUZZLE ABOUT A HUNDRED ROOMS AGO? THAT'S RIGHT. YOU REMEMBER ALL THE RULES, DON'T YOU? GREAT… THEN I WON'T WASTE YOUR TIME REPEATING THEM!"

"That's only because you were likely spying on me alongside Alphys." Alice pointed out as she recalled that fact.

"OH, AND YOU'D BETTER HURRY. BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T GET THROUGH IN 30 SECONDS…" Mettaton began to warn Alice ominously as he pointed to her left.

A row of flame was conjured a short distance away from Alice and it's width encompassed the entire area. It threatened to singe her should she try to get past it and it was much too high to jump over. Alice was oddly enough, only slightly shaken as there had been a number of instances where she was pinned in by some dangerous object and made it unscathed. Like Undyne's attacks or Flowey's bullets. _Something like this surely isn't new,_ Alice gathered, _so I feel like they won't harm me._

"YOU'LL BE INCINERATED BY THESE JETS OF FIRE! AHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHA… HA… HA! MY POOR EX, I'M SO FILLED WITH GRIEF, I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING!" Cackled the robot.

"An unlikely story." Alice reasoned as she stepped onto the conveyer belt.

"GOOD LUCK, DARLING!" Mettaton wished her some faux-sympathy before he actually began to sing again.

Alice had neither the time nor the patience to pay attention to what the lyrics were as she made her way on the stage. She noticed there were two overhanging screens, one with the countdown for the 30 seconds and another that appeared to show pictures of fruit like oranges and lemons. However, Alice found that when she stepped on the yellow squares, she got a jolt of electricity as a response. Wincing, Alice tried to find an alternative route but realized she didn't have a proper gathering of what each square did. She made very little progress and ultimately the 30 seconds went by as quickly as the White Rabbit. Alice gulped nervously, not so much disappointed in herself as she was anxious to see what would happen next. The titles all lost color and resulted in a monochrome floor that she was standing on which already wasn't a good sign.

"OOOOH, I'M SO SORRY! LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE OUT OF TIME!" Mettaton declared boldly as jets of flame from behind and ahead of Alice began to approach.

The two jets of flame completely blocked off her escape and were approaching fast, only halting whenever Mettaton spoke. Alice wasn't as scared of this as she was when caught in Muffet's web not that long ago but she still felt a cold sweat come upon her.

"HERE COME THE FLAMES, DARLING! THEY'RE CLOSING IN! GETTING! CLOSER! OH MY! ANY MINUTE NOW!" Mettaton counted down metaphorically.

Yet when the jets of flame were right next to Alice, burning hot enough to make Alice feel quite uncomfortable, they showed no signs of moving any further. They stood statically in place as though their movements had become restricted. Ultimately, it seemed Alice was in the clear if even just for a moment or two and Mettaton let out a robotic cough as he waited impatiently for any signs of continuation. Then, Alice suddenly heard a sound that was instantly recognizable but one that she hadn't heard for a while. The sound of her phone ringing. Alice suddenly realized who was calling and why. It was Alphys and it was very likely that with her knowledge of the Underground's machinery that she had been able to directly intervene in this puzzle. Alice quickly answered the phone.

"Watch out! I'll save you! I'm hacking into the firewall right now!" Alphys said with a noticeable increase in confidence.

"Ah! T-thank you Alphys." Alice said in gratitude as the jets of fire deactivated.

"OH NO! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? FOILED AGAIN BY THE BRILLIANT DOCTOR ALPHYS!" Mettaton asked himself in agony.

"..." Alice watched on in some silence as she suddenly noticed there being a brief moment of silence.

Neither of them spoke despite the fact it was clear they were in a situation that almost required a conversation between the two. Not to mention the casual way he had complimented Alphys despite being defeated by her was not consistent to what he was aiming for. It was possible he was complimenting her for being the one to create him and he was being vain about it but on the other hand, it almost implied he was still on good terms with the Royal Scientist. It was an action like this that made Alice extremely nervous.

"THA-"

"That's right! Come on, Mettaton, give up already! You'll never be able to defeat us… Not as long as we work together! Your puzzles over… Now go home and leave us alone!" Alphys's statement unexpectedly cut off something Mettaton was about to say.

 _That was definitely not natural,_ Alice realized. The way she had spoke like that with that unusual bravado that would only be natural on Papyrus, Mettaton being cut off at an unusual timing, and just the fact that she was telling him to 'go home' when that essentially meant going back to the lab where he was created… it all screamed suspicious. Yet Alice felt this wasn't at all a good time to attempt to accuse them of conspiring against her. Not when the jets of flame could be easily reactivated if the two of them were after her soul. She had to play along with this strange scenario even if it was becoming unfavorable for her. Mettaton's tone did seem to indicate some haughtiness on his end when he spoke again,

"PUZZLE? OVER? ALPHYS, DARLING, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT…? DID YOU FORGET WHAT THE GREEN TILES DO? THEY MAKE A SOUND, THEN YOU HAVE TO FIGHT A MONSTER? WELL, DARLING… THAT MONSTER..."

Suddenly, Mettaton grabbed his dress and flung it off himself with an incredible sense of drama to his movements.

"IS ME!" He growled.

He then lunged for Alice, giving the little girl little room to dodge. She was able though to avoid his initial lunge, forcing Mettaton to hop onto his classic wheel instead of his flight mode and wave at her coyly. Upon analyzing him, Alice saw that his metal body rendered him invulnerable to attack. This meant not even the mightiest attacks Alice could manage would phase him. Granted there was always the option to run but Mettaton was quite persistent and if he could fly, then he'd easily be able to pursue Alice to great lengths. Alice was about to make some steps backward when Mettaton spoke again,

"THIS IS IT, DARLING! SAY GOODBYE!"

As if Alice couldn't catch a break, her phone rang again. During the dodge the call had ended prematurely so it seemed Alphys was still online to speak with her.

"IS THAT YOUR PHONE? YOU'D BETTER-"

"I do not need constant commentary!" Alice shouted with some exasperation as she answered her phone.

"H-hey! This seems bad, but don't worry! Th-there's one last thing I installed on your phone…! You see that yellow button…? Go to this phone's [[ACT]] menu and press it!" Alphys ordered.

Alice hesitantly scrambled to find the button and pushed it once she did. She looked at her screen and noticed that it was displaying a red heart. For some reason this made Alice feel confident again and as if this phone was resonating with Mettaton's presence. Then it slowly rotated upside down and in a resonant flash of light and sound, turned yellow. Alice was feeling a bit excited and awaited further instruction. She got it not a moment too soon.

"Now press [Z]!"

Pressing it quickly and rapidly, she found that her phone was emitting small, transparent yellow bullets at Mettaton that hit him dead on. A flurry of them hit Mettaton and gave Alice great personal satisfaction. However, Mettaton didn't appear to wince or cower back after being hit by all of them. Rather he kept waving…

"OOOH! OOOOOOOH! YOU'VE DEFEATED ME! HOW CAN THIS BE, YOU WERE STRONGER THAN I THOUGHT, ETC. WHATEVER." Mettaton, in a terribly dismissive tone, slid away from sight after lamenting his 'loss.

"Why…?" Alice muttered weakly, lowering her phone and suddenly feeling very foolish.

As though to mock her for once again getting her hopes up, Alphys's obnoxiousness rang again.

"L-looks like you beat him! Y-you did a really great job out there." She said jubilantly.

"... All thanks to you I suppose." Alice sighed with some sadness.

It was perfectly apparent now that Alphys was trying to play Alice like a fiddle, using Mettaton as a pawn to orchestrate some sort of adventure. Maybe she was trying to lead Alice to Asgore himself who perhaps laid out some sort of trap for her. Perhaps she was trying to teach Alice some sort of sick lesson. Maybe this was her idea of puzzles like Papyrus did or maybe she was attempting to avenge Undyne or someone else. Either way, Alice knew for a fact that Alphys was up to something suspicious and couldn't trust her 100%. Right now, her best move was to simply play to Alphys's ego. _Perhaps by doing this I could avoid some drastic surprise later down the road,_ she thought.

"What? Oh no, I mean… You were the one doing everything cool! I just wrote some silly programs for your phone. … umm, h-hey, this might sound strange but… c-can I tell you something?" Alphys spoke with a sudden seriousness.

Alice took notice of this tone and suddenly softened her expression and contemplating mind. Alphys sounded as though she was about to say something very personal and knowing the Royal Scientist, it could be of useful or maybe explain something as to why she was doing this. So Alice decided to give Alphys one last chance.

"You can speak your mind Alphys." She said gently.

"B-before I met you, I d-didn't really… I didn't really like myself very much. For a long time, I f-felt like a total screw-up. L-like I couldn't do a-anything w-without… W-without letting everybody down. B-but...! Guiding you has made me feel… A lot better about myself. So… thanks for letting me help you. … Uhhh, anyway, we're almost to the CORE. It's just past MTT Resort. Come on! Let's finish this!" Alphys opened her heart in a level that even Alice's sister wouldn't often do so.

The Royal Scientist then promptly ended the call, leaving Alice with a far more sympathetic understanding of why and what Alphys was doing and a lot to think about this MTT Resort.

To Be Continued...


	25. Judgement First, Promise Afterward

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 24 Judgement First, Promise Afterward

Wearily, Alice carried on the path, finding that the floor design changed back to that of Muffet's. She had never felt quite so mentally exhausted before and it wasn't a pleasant sensation. What she heard just now from Alphys did clear things up a bit. Alphys seemed to have suffered from a lack of self-confidence for some time before Alice came down here. Considering her social awkwardness, lack of consideration towards one's privacy, and strange interests in promoting false history, it made a lot of sense to her. Alphys must've saw Alice's arrival as a chance to make herself feel fulfilled as either the Royal Scientist or just as Alphys in particular. After all, if every other monster was hunting Alice, why shouldn't she have some fun with the human girl herself? _This perfectly explains how and why she orchestrated this scenario with Mettaton and why she seems in control as opposed to Mettaton,_ Alice concluded with the finesse of a detective. Alphys had spoken genuinely with that confession and Alice did feel a bit bad that Alphys felt so low of herself at one point but going through with this plan was inexcusable. No human's life should be toyed with like some kind of game and Alphys was very likely deceiving her and possibly leading her into a far worse scenario than dealing with Mettaton. Not to mention that this would reflect badly on the king if he were to find out Alphys was abusing the power of her position for a fairly trivial thing rather than help break the barrier.

"Oh…! It's you again!" Alice gasped with some relief when she saw some familiar faces.

First she spotted the Nice Cream Guy once again with his stand and the two Royal Guards from earlier standing side by side. Considering how things had went with both of them and Alice was more than delighted to speak with them again. It was the Nice Cream Guy who had noticed her fist and sent a send-off towards her way.

"Hey! It's you again! Business is excellent here! These two fellas bought ALL my ice cream! I've actually sold out of everything!" He exclaimed.

"That's wonderful! Congratulations on your success!" Alice said cheerfully, clapping her hands.

"Aww thanks… I'll definitely find some way to make it up to you who were one of my first big buyers. As for now, I've still got something for you! … a big smile! How about that!" The Nice Cream Guy grinned.

"Certainly a sweet smile. Thank you."

Alice then turned to the two Royal Guards in question, curious about how their outing went.

"Oh, hey. We're, like, taking a rain check on that killing-you thing. Like, don't tell Undyne about this, ok?" RG 01 requested.

"I haven't run into her around here so I'm positive your secrets safe with me. How did the date come along?" Alice asked, putting a finger to her cheek in anticipation.

"Oh it was really sweet… and romantic. Like, everything I've dreamed of and more… I could stay like this forever... " RG 01's blush practically oozed out from the armor.

RG 02 nodded in silent agreement, looking fairly happy with the situation as well. Alice giggled with delight, finding an unusual joy in helping others find romance and happiness thus far. Normally she would often indulge in her own imagination and happiness and couldn't be bothered with people and things she didn't understand. Slowly but surely, Alice could recognize that she was starting to change as a person. _I've already changed so many times since that morning,_ Alice thought, _and I still have a whole lifetime to change much more._ Deciding to leave the Royal Guards be, she kept on her way, noticing a stairway that seemed to lead to a tall building. As she climbed up the stairs, she saw something absolutely shocking.

"No way… Sans is here again…" Alice gasped.

First and foremost was the setting, a big purple brick building with large gold windows, matching doors, a beautiful orange and white checked cloth overhang, and pretty potted plants. Above the overhang was a very distinct sign with the design of two Mettaton's and the letters 'MTT' with an underline underneath. There were also four elegant sticks holding what appeared to be a red ribbon between each pair of them on two sides of the entrance way. Lastly was a piece of paper lying on the ground and Sans, standing in front of one of the potted plants, hands in his pockets, and seemingly static. Alice was confused as to why Sans was here as this was above and beyond the furthest from a sentry post and from Snowdin. In addition, last time they had spoken, he hadn't let Alice known he was going to be up ahead again. Rather he had told her to run along. For some reason this gave Alice an eerie feeling…

"Perhaps he wants to speak to me again…? But of what? And why…?" Alice asked herself as quietly as she could.

Desperate to find a distraction from this, she turned to the piece of paper lying on the ground. 'Hey! Go up to the creepy alleyway on the right for some great deals!' _Sounds like another store,_ Alice decided as she eyed Sans with reservation. Sans seemed to be daydreaming to himself for he hadn't noticed Alice at all, and he showed no signs of moving beyond an occasional breath. She was questioning why she was feeling nervous seeing him again but perhaps it was the fact she realized that she didn't have as good a read on him as she once thought and he kept reappearing throughout this journey. If he was secretly aiding King Asgore that'd make sense but he had let her go so it just made the whole thing even more mysterious. Deciding to ignore him for the time being, she went into the alleyway, marked by a red arrow painted on the ground. What she failed to realize was that once her back was turned, Sans looked into the direction she headed off to.

"Hey! Check it out!"

"Yeah! Check it out!" Two energetic female voices greeted at once to the little girl.

Alice looked and saw what appeared to be a small stand and what looked like an apartment against the walls of the MTT building with a sign that said 'Bratty & Catty' with lipstick stains. Behind those stands were two of the most normal-looking monsters she had seen yet. There was a green alligator with blonde hair tied into elegant ringlets and a bold pink, yellow and bright blue shawl over a blue undershirt with yellow and green sleeves. She was wearing noticeable lipstick and had pink eyes. The second monster was a purple cat with a cool black haircut with a tinge of electric blue on the end and an earring on her right cat ear. She was wearing a blue shirt with yellow buttons and yellow torn sleeves. Alice looked dazzled by their appearances as not only was one of them a cat like Dinah, but they seemed rather stylish and she got a sense they had a lot of energy. Alice remarked,

"Oh wow! You two look so lovely!"

"Like thanks! It's hard to get compliments here in the alleyway!" The cat cheerfully exclaimed, holding up her paws.

"We don't really need compliments. Or much of anything really so-" The alligator tried to be humble but the cat seemed enthusiastic.

"Oh my god, can you go get us some Glamburgers? OOH! Or I could pay you 1000G if you can get Mettaton to sign my butt" The cat's tongue stuck out and her eyes turned into noticeable hearts as she swayed dreamily.

"Goodness… Um, well perhaps once I figure out where to buy them I could do so. Um, who are you two?" Alice asked politely, slightly surprised at their very outgoing antics.

"I'm Bratty, and this is my best friend, Catty." The alligator said.

"I'm Catty, and this is my best friend, Bratty." The cat said at the same time.

The two of them looked to one another in surprise at being in sync before chuckling in amusement. Alice looked a bit shy now as she realized the two of them were far out of her comfort zone in terms of mannerisms.

"I kind of had a hunch you were Catty for I have a cat of my very own… so you two went into business together?" Alice offered.

"Oh yeah. The stuff inside, is like…"

"TOTALLY wicked expensive." Catty finished Bratty's thought for her.

"But, like, this stuff we found is like…"

"TOTALLY wicked cheap."

"You should…"

"Like…"

""TOTALLY wicked buy all of it?"" The two monsters offered playfully.

 _They talk like RG 01,_ Alice realized from their use of 'like'. She was learning some useful information though, like how it seemed the MTT Resort had a store of its own. As well as the fact that Bratty and Catty seemed to be owning a thrift store. It was charming to Alice and they definitely had the personality to pull it off. She also found it admirable that two best friends were working together to earn an income as she was still at an age where she was to be making her friends that'd last a lifetime. This was a good sign of what she could learn to do with a best friend to make success happen in her life.

"So where did you find these products to sell?" Alice inquired thoughtfully.

"I mean, like, where does anyone get guns, or food, or…" Bratty began.

"We found it in the garbage!"

An awkward silence occurred as Catty covered her mouth from jumping in and Bratty looked to her nervously. Alice's eyes widened.

""It's GOOD garbage. It's like really good garbage."" Bratty and Catty said respectively together.

"T-that doesn't seem sanitary… or legal. I mean what are you even offering at the moment?" Alice asked as she recalled the state of the garbage dump from when she fell in there.

"Like, we get them from the garbage store, duh! It's totally legal." Bratty said.

""..."" Then there was another pause from the two of them.

Alice was beginning to feel mentally tired again, these two were a bit too… flighty? It seemed as though they were quick to act but slow to think and their energy was pretty overwhelming. If anything it was also comedic, like they were a pair of performers directing the audience into several punchlines.

"Waterfall mostly." Bratty admitted with a laugh.

"I found a gun in the dumpster!" Catty shouted.

"..." Alice frowned slightly and folded her arms.

"Oh right! You want to see our fares right? Here you go!" Bratty said, pulling out a selection of items.

Alice saw what looked like some packaged snacks and goodies, an empty gun, a cowboy hat, and most intriguing of all, a key. Alice did show a bit of interest in the key as she believed it could take her somewhere important. So she pointed at it and asked the pair,

"How much for this key? And what door does it open?"

"Like, that'll be 600G, and it's probably to someone's house. LOL." Catty chuckled.

"Wait, if you found this in the garbage dump, why didn't you attempt to return this key to its rightful owner?" Alice asked, suddenly realizing they may have done something selfish.

"There wasn't really anyone around at the time we found it. So, it's totally up for grabs. Besides, we've held onto it for like, EVER! So if the monster it belonged to wanted it, they'd like skedaddle over here." Bratty explained.

"... Well I suppose I'll be the one to return it to them." Alice concluded as she handed her money over and took the key, placing it in her pockets for safekeeping.

"Bratty! We're gonna be rich!" Catty squealed with delight.

"Say, do you know anything about Mettaton or Alphys?" Alice asked, figuring getting some more information would benefit her at this point.

""Oh my GOD. Mettaton."" Both of them looked positively lovestruck at the mention of him.

"He's like… my robot husband. I think we're like… both going to marry him." Bratty said.

"Actually he's like… MY robot husband. We're both like, ALREADY married to him. He just, like, doesn't know it yet." Catty said with a satisfied smirk.

 _After the way he's been acting,_ Alice thought, _they can take him._ Alice then suddenly remembered her promise to Papyrus about trying to help him get introduced to Mettaton. Papyrus seemed WAY too good for Mettaton by this point but Alice decided she didn't want to break Papyrus's trust in her so she reassigned her priorities. Meanwhile, the two friends continued to chatter away,

"So, like Dr. Alphys built Mettaton right?"

"That's like what they TELL you."

"But like… Mettaton always acts like…"

"... being built was his idea somehow." Catty said with a surprised look on her face.

"And even right after he was built…" Bratty went on.

"... he acted like Alphys was an old friend."

"But they're like… Not friends anymore."

"Yeah! Unlike me and Bratty! Best friends for-EVER!"

That was a surprising statement Alice just heard from the two. Alphys and Mettaton weren't friends anymore? Then why were they working together on this strange scheme towards Alice? Was it some alliance or had they made amends with one another without Bratty and Catty knowing about it? Also the idea of Mettaton being that confident in his creation was also puzzling. How can a robot possibly know when it's creator would build it? It seemed fundamentally impossible unless…

"Perhaps Mettaton is more than he seems." Alice said to herself.

""And then there's Alphys. Oh my God. Alphys. She used to live on our street. She was like a big sister." Bratty and Catty continued to elaborate on what Alice had asked them.

"I mean, like, if your big sister…"

"Takes you on trips to the dump."

"She showed us the coolest places to find trash." Bratty remarked.

"She was always collecting these weird cartoons."

"Then she became the Royal Scientist…"

"Yeah, we haven't seen her in forever…" Catty commented a bit sadly.

 _Yeah that explains then why they aren't aware of her familiarity with Mettaton at the moment,_ Alice thought. Alice did have to admit that this side of Alphys sounded very nice and she wondered if she did desire to go out and about but her new duties kept her from doing so. It'd explain why she seemed so homely when they first met and also be a sad irony. Getting a better position within the Underground caused her to lose some of her old habits and made her ultimately much more reserved and even meek. _Although it does seem very odd people would throw away perfectly good cartoons in the first place,_ Alice thought with some embarrassment. The little girl decided there was just one more thing she'd like to ask the two of them and spoke,

"So what has it been like for her working as the Royal Scientist?"

"So Alphys has like…" Bratty started answering again.

"Thought ASGORE is a SUPER cutie."

"So, like, I'm pretty sure she…"

"Made Mettaton to, like, totally impress him."

"A robot with a SOUL…"

"That's, like, SUPER relevant to his hobbies!"

"So after seeing Mettaton, ASGORE…"

"Asked her to do all this science stuff with him! But nobody' s like, seen anything from her yet."

"Or… her at all…"

"She must, like, just stay in her lab all day." Catty mentioned.

"... What? How is that even possible? Doesn't she receive letters?" Alice asked.

Indeed what she was hearing was surprisingly interesting. Firstly that Mettaton also appeared to have a SOUL inside him which was probably the anti-human features Alphys mentioned on their first visit. She was hoping it wasn't a human SOUL implanted in him and luckily for her it seemed likely that was the case. But the idea of Alphys not even producing any work or studies or results as the Royal Scientist was truly baffling and offensive. For all Alice knew, Alphys was just using her position to play silly games with people, to watch over them, and to build entertainment robots. She didn't know how long the Royal Scientist had been in power but something like this didn't make any sense. Not to mention Alice had seen that stack of letters on her desk so it was clear people wanted Alphys to stay in touch with them. _Maybe I should've read one of them after all,_ Alice thought, _for investigative purposes._

"Like yeah, we know of several monsters who send letters…"

"Including us! But, nobody's gotten a response. It's kind of taboo to talk about it though, cause like… we'd hate to bring down everyone's hope, and it could upset ASGORE."

"Plus it's not like you can, bring it up with someone you haven't seen in, for-ever! It's like geez, live a little, girl." Bratty teased.

"Yeah! Like us!" Catty shouted optimistically.

"Hmm, perhaps if I see her again I'll inquire as to why that is." Alice offered sweetly.

""Thanks girl!"" The two friends exclaimed.

"Now, how much do you know about ASGORE?"

""Oh my God. He's a total goober. He's a big fuzzy goofball! Like, I love that guy. He's like, SO nice."" The two friends gave a reply that was completely unlike what Alice had expected.

"N-nice you say…?" Alice scratched her head.

"God, we're like… SO hyped for the destruction of humanity."

Suddenly, Alice froze, speechless. Her mind processed exactly what Bratty and Catty said and practically lurched back. They had specifically said they were excited for the destruction of humanity. Where had that come from? What did that even entail? Was it really what Alice thought they meant?

"... I-I beg your pardon but… what… did you just speak of?" She asked hesitantly, shaking.

"Well, like, the humans kept us down here…" Bratty spoke, without an inch of sympathy.

"Yeah, yeah! I'm pretty sure we'll get like payback on them!" Catty said, without an ounce of consideration.

Alice suddenly felt a great fury overcome her that had been steadily building since Alphys's charade had accelerated.

"...! How dare you wish something so horrible upon my kind! How would you like it if I wished every monster down here dissolved into dust? It's quite frankly off-putting for anyone to wish mass demise upon a group that includes innocent people!" Alice bellowed, pointing her finger angrily at the duo.

Bratty and Catty flinched a bit, Bratty looking less shaken than Catty did. They seemed confused, as if they had no idea they had offended Alice with their statements and were not sure why she was reacting like this. This sort of passive acknowledgement of incorrect logic was what always had gotten on Alice's nerves the most. In Wonderland, everyone's weird ways were fun at first but when they clashed and were deemed superior to Alice's hard-taught thinking, it was when she had the hardest time and wanted to go home. To see that even the Underground was so biased against all humans despite some individuals self-worth and innocence was infuriating and the little girl had had it. She slammed her palms down onto the table hard, knocking the gun to the ground.

"And would you like to know something else?! I've had it with your superiority complex! Your entire species thinks it can do whatever it wants with humans. Humans should be killed upon sight so their soul may be used to break the barrier. Humans should run around playing some mindless game so that I can jump in and help and feel more confident in myself. Humans should continuously do silly puzzles and be watched constantly without a moment's time for themselves. Humans being alive is a crime down here, humans should be used as pawns and so on. If you hadn't killed six poor innocent children then perhaps you could've learned a thing or two about manners from them." Alice went on a scornful tirade.

Catty and Bratty were struck into silence, not the type of characters to even be able to retaliate effectively against this strong-willed attack. Bratty looked a bit more frustrated while Catty looked very sad. They could do nothing at this point but listen to this little girl go off on them.

"Instead you find joy in harming innocent beings, stealing things that don't even belong to you and selling them, falsifying history itself, and making light of murder! You should all be ashamed of yourselves, trying to wish demise upon an entire race you've tormented all these years when you guys are tormentors yourselves! Humph!" Alice took her hands off the table and gripped her skirt.

The two friends once again were had little to say though this time Catty began to sniffle and even shed a few tears. She looked very sad and disappointed in herself and rubbed her eyes. The fragility of her cries though finally seemed to get to Alice and she realized that perhaps she had chosen the absolute wrong people to vent this towards. Sure they had idly and carelessly said they were excited for humanity's destruction but they had no power or authority like Asgore did to achieve it. It was no better than shaming a relative of a criminal instead of the criminal themselves in a formal court. Bratty whispered something into Catty's ear and hugged her friend before leering at Alice with a surprising and justified fury.

"Like, get. Out." She said.

"... Ah… y-yes… I'm-" Alice tried to apologize as she stumbled away from the counter but Bratty reasserted her point.

"OUT!"

Suddenly feeling fairly foolish and disappointed in herself, Alice fled the scene as Bratty began to comfort her crying friend. Alice scurried away from the MTT Resort, not wanting anything to do with that place at the moment. However, she failed to recognize a notable difference from when she entered in her rush. Sans had switched sides, standing closer to where Alice exited from the alley. Also, his pupils were hollow and his body language was trembling with what seemed to be anger or anticipation. He saw the girl run but had no desire to try to call her over. It was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment.

"..." He seethed silently.

"Huff… huff…" Alice panted, tired from what could only be described as a cowardly escape.

She seemed to have found herself at an elevator marked 'R3' with a little flame monster looking over at her curiously. Alice felt as though lately her conversational skills had declined in formality and politeness and decided to leave the monster be. Her mind was feeling less heavy from venting it all out but was replaced with guilt and sadness from doing something so cruel. _I don't even know if the very feelings themselves were justified at this point,_ Alice thought. Desperate to find another topic to think about and perhaps refresh her journey, she recalled the key she had purchased. Pulling it out of her pockets, she wondered if this key perhaps would open an area that had been locked before.

"Now the question lies… what place…?" Alice asked herself.

 _They said they found it in the garbage dump in Waterfall,_ Alice thought. _So that was when I reunited with Napstablook. What was-_

' _Eh…? Oh… so then the house on the left must be Napstablook's. But why leave the lights on?'_

"The house... the pink one! That must be what this key unlocks…!" Alice exclaimed as she remembered the slight mishap with figuring out which house was Napstablook's at the time.

After some traversing and figuring things out with the elevator, Alice had managed to find her way into Waterfall again using the Riverperson's boat. The ride went by rather easily and smoothly with the Riverperson singing a fairly nonsensical song. She stood in front of the pink house with the light still shining through the window. It was tempting to see if Napstablook was home but she wanted to be discreet and was still not feeling up for conversation. Indeed, the way the pink house was reminded her of a lighthouse, beckoning some sort of great discovery or safety inside. This managed to make Alice feel curious and excited again as she stuck the key into the lock. It managed to unlock the door though mysteriously, the key seemed to vanish from her hands as though it was magic.

"Curiouser and curiouser…" Alice mumbled to herself as she opened the door and stepped inside.

What Alice was astounded to find out about this house was that the pink color was also prominent within the house as the walls and curtains were of different but vibrant pink hues. A star pattern with stripes had been etched onto the walls and a large round carpet on the wood floor shared the same design. There was a purple table in the corner with what looked like a smaller, pink T.V. than the one in Sans and Papyrus's house. The bed looked rather cozy with an extra purple and pink star pillow lying on it. Another prominent part of the room was a very stirring poster of what looked like some theater show with a woman and man dancing and the title being along the lines of 'BIIG BIEH' or something. _Can't say that show title makes any sense,_ Alice thought with some disappointment as the picture itself looked appealing. Most intriguing of all though were six journals lying on the ground and left unopened. Considering the timespan between Alice's visit here and the last and even then it seemed like a fraction of how long these journals were left here. Now Alice knew it was impolite and an invasion of privacy to pry people's private journals but with this house abandoned for an unknown amount of time, she believed it was acceptable this once. So she started with the first journal on the left. 'Dear Diary: Shyren's sister "fell down" recently. It's sad. Without her sister to speak for her… She's become more reclusive than ever. So I reached out to her, and told her… That she, Blooky, and I should all perform together sometime. She seemed to like that idea.'

"... Fall down…? Shyren was the monster that performed that concert right…? And Blooky's name is mentioned here…" Alice analyzed with some alarm.

Granted while Alice 'fell down' the rabbit hole into the Underground, to hear someone else, especially the monsters themselves who were trapped here use that terminology clearly meant some other meaning. The way the writer had noted Shyren no longer had her sister to speak for her implied death or a disappearance. Neither concept was particularly comforting to Alice and in fact made her wonder what had happened. _In fact, I recall someone in Snowdin mentioned there were disappearances at some point._ Alice remembered hearing that from the rhino monster at the library and she wondered if there was a connection. What did make her feel better was the speaker's obvious kindness and consideration for Shyren and also how they seemed to be on good terms with Napstablook who, to some people, might seem too reclusive in themselves. Reassured, she moved onto the next journal. 'Dearer Diary: I like to buy a new diary for every entry I make. I love to collect diaries.'

"Um… that doesn't seem very practical, and who was even selling these diaries? The library in Snowdin?" Alice asked herself, looking a bit stupefied by such a decision.

 _Then again it's unfair of me to also judge this writer when I'm snooping through their things,_ Alice mentally scolded herself. Peering into the next diary, Alice's eyes widened. 'Dearest Diary: Our cousin left the farm to become a training dummy. That just leaves Blooky and I. Blooky asked if I was going to try to become corporeal, too. They sounded so… Resigned… Come on, Blooky. You know I'd never leave you behind. And besides… I'd never find the kind of body I'm looking for, anyway.'

"Oh my god… this writer was a ghost just like Napsta… and that cousin…? Was he the Mad Dummy or the dummy in the Ruins?!" Alice felt a rush of emotions.

Namely she was a bit shocked and sad at the painful irony. Napstablook WAS alone on the farm now and this writer HAD left him behind. The resignation must've been an act of intuition or maybe some sort of measure taken to avoid feeling as much loss from what they thought would and did happen. This diary showed the writer didn't think they would at the time this was written which was reassuring but it seemed they were desiring a body and perhaps the reason they left was due to finding it. Also the idea of a ghost becoming corporal was rather fascinating. To touch Napstablook would be…

"... I-I don't even know how that would function exactly. Is it like some sort of possession?" Alice inquired herself nervously.

 _That actually sounds a lot like how Chara was able to take over me,_ Alice realized. But Chara wasn't exactly a ghost, they were rather some sort of cross between that and a human and perhaps a SOUL. Seeing how they stressed SOULS could linger after death that was likely a part of it. Her attention fully captured, Alice read the fourth journal. 'My Darling Diary: I met someone… Interesting today. Last week I posted that advertisement for my Human Fanclub. Today was our first meeting. Only one other person came. Honestly, she's a dork. And she's obsessed with these awful cartoons. But she's kind of funny too… I want to see her again.'

"...It couldn't be could it?" After a long silence, Alice gasped.

This diary's writer… was very likely METTATON. The use of 'darling', the description of who was obviously Alphys, Napstablook being left behind on the farm, the desire of a body, and also the aforementioned performing. It all fit into place like one of Papyrus's puzzles. That was actually even more heartbreaking in a way. Mettaton had formed a Human Fanclub at some point, meaning he liked humans and didn't necessarily want to kill them. Maybe that wasn't the real reason why but this journal opened that interpretation up for Alice and made her feel worse about calling out Bratty and Catty. This fact was also disciplining that lesson into her so she wouldn't make such a mistake again. More importantly, it explained Napstablook's disinterest and uncomfortableness towards the subject of Mettaton. Mettaton was someone very close to him, perhaps family, and they left Napstablook behind for becoming the robotic egotist he was now. Such a series of events felt like a decline.

"This really is a recurring theme down here… monsters losing their way from all the years of imprisonment.." Alice sighed with some pity towards them.

She then opened the pages of the fifth journal. 'Diary… My dear: My diary collection is going fabulously. I have like five now.' Alice grimaced at how this second to last diary was so off-topic and also just not a very good record of events. Although this also built up suspense towards the final journal as there was a very high chance it would be something significant and shocking. Alice bravely began to read it. 'Dear Diary: She surprised me with something today. Sketches of a body that she wants to create for me… A form beyond my wildest fantasies. In a form like that, I could finally feel like… "myself." After all, there's no way I can be a star the way I am now. Sorry, Blooky. My dreams can't wait for anyone…'

"... Oh Napstablook…" Alice said sorrowfully.

Somehow, she felt a bit enlightened by all this as it did explain Mettaton better to her. Alphys hadn't built him from scratch or used a 'sexy rectangle' shape on purpose, but rather she had met Mettaton as a ghost, befriended him, and used her position as Royal Scientist to simultaneously fulfill Asgore's wishes and also Mettaton's wishes. She made a body for Mettaton, presumably added a SOUL to him which was maybe what made him corporal and became the robot that he was today. Then that also explained why Mettaton was playing along with this obvious scheme of Alphys's, they were comrades and despite what Bratty and Catty thought, likely were still friends. After all, why would Mettaton simply call off their friendship if Alphys made all his dreams come true? He willingly left his cousin behind and broke a promise to do so after all. Alice wasn't sure what else to think when a familiar voice spoke out quietly.

"...i see now… i never really came in here out of respect for him…"

"Napstablook…! H-how long have you been floating there?" Alice shamefully rose to her feet and turned around as she saw Napstablook floating in the open doorway.

"i heard the door open… thought it might've been… well you know now." Napstablook looked around the room, as though familiarizing himself with old memories.

"I can't believe this happened to you… I can't believe that I misjudged him so badly… and I can't believe this betraying and playing around with people's feelings keeps happening!" Alice cried in sympathy and frustration

However, it seemed as though Napstablook didn't hear Alice for he did not reply. Rather he continued to look around the room and even peered at a few of the journals. He nodded grimly once he was done with this and seemed teary-eyed.

"... he never kept his promise… i was left behind…" Napstablook lamented.

"..." Alice stood silent.

"left on the farm… taking care of the snails… i'm just a ghost. ghosts aren't the king or the royal scientist or even solid… we're kind of invisible. … when he left, i had predicted it in my mind but i never knew he had promised not to do so. he always talked about stardom though. and... the way he was… he felt he could never be a star... " Napstablook looked over to the poster of the two humans performing.

"I'm… beginning to connect the dots with Mettaton's nature. Part of me does feel bad for him for feeling down about himself and even respects him for pursuing his dream so boldly and accomplishing it. But the fact he betrayed your trust, left you alone in this lonely place when it's already considered a prison by many, and just what he's become and done to me… I don't know if I could forgive him." Alice put her hands to her heart and sighed.

"i think you can forgive him…" Napstablook confessed.

Alice looked up to him in surprise, as she detected something she hadn't seen from Napstablook as profoundly yet. DETERMINATION. She realized that he had something very important to say and she needed to give him his attention as if he was King ASGORE himself.

"alice... you're the first person… the first human... to see me for more than that. knowing the truth about mettaton… i'm sure you can do the same for him. i... do still watch his show after all… i didn't let him go entirely after he left… but if you think he's maybe losing sight of what he wanted… then i'd say go for it." Napstablook bravely smiled as his tears fell.

"... I… well, I would certainly do it for you. I-I already have a promise I have to keep regarding Mettaton so why not add another? Hehehe…" Alice admitted as she felt as though she might cry tears of happiness in a matter of moments.

Alice 'embraced' Napstablook, trying carefully not to touch his rather acidic tears and also even remotely resemble a hug as he was still incorporeal and couldn't be grasped. Napstablook seemed to greatly appreciate the gesture as well. Alice then thought up of an idea,

"Napstablook… perhaps you'd like to accompany me on my journey again? I'm nearly at the castle I believe and maybe you could see Meta-"

Napstablook sharply shook his head though. It seemed that he wasn't quite ready to meet Mettaton in person yet and for good reasons. Alice was slightly disappointed but understood his decision and decided not to say anymore. Ultimately, they talked a few more minutes about some of the things in Hotland, the absurdity of Mettaton's puzzles, and about what Alice had heard from Muffet and other creatures in Hotland. Then Napstablook returned to his house and Alice departed back towards the MTT Resort, the next destination in her adventures Underground.

"hey. i heard you're going to core. how about grabbing some dinner with me first?" Sans greeted her this time.

The sight of Sans didn't quite intimidate Alice as much as it did earlier for she felt very inspired and also touched by Napstablook's support and the pride of finding out the whole story about Mettaton and Alphys. Although his offer to her was a bit mixed. Indeed dinner would be delicious but somehow she felt a dinner here was less exciting and less comforting than a dinner at Grillby's. _Perhaps he saw this was the only option available?_ Alice reasoned. Ultimately, Alice gave Sans a small nod.

"great, thanks for treating me." Sans replied.

"... HEY! Wait a moment! We did not discuss who was paying yet so don't force it upon me without asking first!" Alice shouted, flustered at how Sans totally twisted the concept.

"an oldie but a goodie… come here. i know a shortcut." Sans said, walked towards the left alleyway opposite Bratty and Catty's right alleyway.

Alice frowned slightly though was reassured by the use of a proper joke rather than more strained puns. She followed him and soon was led into a rather exquisite dining room. A rich and regal purple color scheme dominated the room with a checkered print of violet and wisteria on the floor and a variety of plants decorating the walls. There seemed to be a small message board pinned to the wall with papers on it. There was a single lit candle on each table and a plate-set on one side of the table. Weirdly enough, Sans happened to have the plate-set and nobody had come yet or seemed to be around serving things. Alice wasn't very pleased with this but decided to settle with the chance to converse with Sans some more.

"well, here we are. so. your journey's almost over, huh? you must really wanna go home." Sans pointed out.

Despite the concerns Catty and Bratty raised, Alice decided to stay true to her heart and the fact that a few monsters deserved what Alice was intending for them.

"Well it's so much more than that, I also want to free all of you… like I promised in Snowdin Forest. I haven't stopped looking for clues." She replied composedly.

"glad to see you haven't called it quits when some might throw in the towel by now. though... maybe sometimes it's better to take what's given to you." Sans rather friendly tone suddenly sounded noticeably… resigned.

"Sans…?"

"even when you think it's too much to take… down here you've got food, drink, friends… is what you have to do… really worth it?" Sans asked Alice, leaning his arm on the table.

' _WELL IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DREAM OF MINE SHOULD I EVER GET TO THE SURFACE TO DRIVE DOWN A LONG HIGHWAY…'_

' _I especially loved learning more about the surface. All the wonderful teas to try~'_

' _swrry... temmie are seekin colleg! CHANGE LIVEZ'_

"Yes… because monsters have wanted to do so much more than what they can do down here… and they could really use a spelling lesson once in awhile." Alice chuckled as she recalled that frustrating but still understandable desire from the Temmies.

Sans appeared to be listening to her but then looked away towards the message board. He seemed… somehow conflicted. It wasn't like he was as mad at her when she angrily insulted Papyrus the first time they had encountered, but rather he was almost uncomfortable in Alice's presence. It was this sort of behavior that made Alice have an immensely hard time getting a clear picture and confirmation of who Sans was and what was he about. Sans was still looking away before he seemed to look over his shoulder at her and spoke again,

"let me tell you a story. you may know some of it already but i think you'll like it."

"I would appreciate it Sans." Alice nodded in agreement, smiling politely.

"so i'm a sentry in snowdin forest, right? i sit out there and watch for humans. it's kind of boring. fortunately, deep in the forest… there's this HUGE locked door. and it's perfect for practicing knock knock jokes. so one day, i'm knocking 'em out, like usual. I knock on the door and say "knock knock."

"Who's there? Hehehehe." Alice joked.

Sans at this point turned to face her and regarding her with an awkward smile. It seemed that perhaps he wasn't expecting her to play along with him. He cleared his throat and winked at her.

"exactly. and suddenly, from the other side… i hear a woman's voice. "who is there?" so, naturally, I respond: "dishes." "dishes who?" "dishes a very bad joke."

Alice couldn't help but burst into laughter at the hilarious joke and pun. Just the way he was also making his voice more feminine to match the 'woman' was also quite perfect. Alice did indeed know this woman was Toriel as she recalled the goat mother's fondness of jokes and the scenario at the door was exactly how he listened into the conversation Alice had when leaving the RUINS. It was nice to see this side of Sans, the side she felt his brother was secretly proud of underneath his disdain for puns. _Come to think of it,_ Alice realized, _I don't even know if Papyrus knows about Toriel._ Ultimately that was a question left for another day and Alice listened to Sans continue,

"then she just howls with laughter. like it's the best joke she's heard in a hundred years. so i keep em' coming, and she keeps laughing. she's the best audience i ever had. then, after a dozen of 'em SHE knocks and says… "Knock knock!" i say "who's there?" "old lady!" "old lady who?" "oh! I did not know you could yodel!" wow. needless to say, this woman was extremely good."

After another giggling fit, Alice leaned on the table and listened dreamily to this rather uplifting tale compared to Mettaton's journals. It was all very picturesque and happy to her. It also made her wish she could be perhaps a bit more loose sometimes with her antics and her sense of humor. Yet, in her heart, she felt her formalities were one of the only connections she had left to Dinah and her sister. If she neglected that, it'd be like abandoning them forever in the past. _I should really stop making myself feel bad though,_ Alice realized and pushed that thought down in respect of San's joy.

"we kept telling each other jokes for hours. eventually, i had to leave. papyrus gets kind of cranky without his bedtime story. but she told me to come by again, and so i did. then i did again. and again. it's a thing now. telling bad jokes through the door. It rules." Sans said with a grin before suddenly looking away from Alice again.

Alice wondered if he was about to tell some sort of turning point into the story and waited for him to continue.

"... one day, though, i noticed she wasn't laughing very much. i asked her what was up. then she told me something strange. "if a human ever comes through this door…"

' _could you please promise me something? watch over them and protect them, will you not?"_

' _GRARHHHHHHHHHHHHHhHHHHNGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!'_

"... Ah…!" Alice suddenly felt a rush of shock and fear as she suddenly was reminded of that dream.

She hadn't even processed what Sans had actually said as she distinctly recalled what that dream had hammered into her about Toriel's promise with Sans regarding humans. It had been repeated six times and Alice remembered theorizing that it symbolized the previous six humans who died down here. But what had startled Alice most about this recollection was that in this instance she was being retold this story by the same monster who had bashed her head in the dream regarding the story. Something about this suddenly made Alice feel paranoid and nervous again about Sans, despite the fact he seemed fine. Yet he also seemed to be ignoring Alice's sudden gasp and tense expression.

"now, i hate making promises. and this woman, i don't even know her name. but... someone who sincerely likes bad jokes… has an integrity you can't say "no" to." He concluded the story.

"... I-I see…" Alice, desperately trying to regain her composure, cleared her throat and readjusted herself in her seat.

"do you really see?"

"...?" Alice looked puzzled as Sans face suddenly seemed to be right in front of hers…

"do you get what i'm saying? that promise i made to her… you know what would've happened if i hadn't said anything?" The skeleton pulled away from her but didn't abandon his eye contact.

"H-hold on a m-moment…" Alice suddenly felt as though she was in that same situation, pleading for her innocence over by Papyrus's grave.

The atmosphere had instantly gone from light and airy to an incredible intensity. Granted Alice herself had opened the door to that change but even now, even then, this was something only Chara could hope to match. Something was wrong and Alice had no idea what it was. Alice was too afraid to look into Sans eyes so she instead stared at the candle between them, the small flame giving enough warmth to keep her from cowardly leaving.

"... alice… Y o u ' d." He spoke with no expression whatsoever.

"Eeee… Alice whimpered nervously.

She had nothing to say, because she knew it was definitely true. He could and would do just that if it was to protect Papyrus or to defend the Underground. Toriel's promise had been the only thing keeping her alive. She was spooked by that fact, terrified, and almost wondering if Papyrus's friendship was perhaps the only other barrier keeping her alive in this case. However, something even more startling happened. Sans pulled something out of his pockets, hiding it from view in his clenched fist.

"And based on what I know… there's a good chance someone's dead and buried when they shouldn't be. Right?" Sans spoke with a sudden aggression as he clasped his fist onto the tablecloth.

"... I-I beg your pardon…?" The sudden question helped Alice to regain a small amount of composure though she couldn't hide the fear in her voice.

She stared at Sans bony hand as though it was the barrel of a gun, aimed at her and ready to finish her off. What he said didn't make sense. His actions didn't make sense. Sans didn't make sense. Right now she was dealing with something beyond herself. She couldn't pinpoint why and how but Sans was displaying the same power that he had back then,

' _... You're not in the position to judge others ALICE.'_

"... You seem to know a lot about things and hold it over the other monsters like a weapon… you're thinking but what about? What brought you here? And why do you continue to lie…? Maybe this'll get the answer out of you." Sand lifted his hand away from the table.

Alice, nervously, looked down upon what Sans had pulled out. It was a single piece of fabric, likely from someone's shirt or sweater. It was… Striped. Blue with purple stripes. Nothing Alice had seen before. Nothing she could understand. Yet this was another piece of clothing. Another piece of clothing from a human that came before her. But something was different about this one. And Sans was demanding she speak about it. But she didn't know. She couldn't know. She hadn't been here before.

 **You felt your sins crawling on your back.**

To Be Continued...


	26. Eight of Hearts

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 25 Eight of Hearts

"W-where did you even find that Sans?" A stunned Alice decided to ask what she felt was the safest question to start with.

"Someplace you probably haven't been to yet… right?" Sans looked slightly challenging as he questioned Alice.

"That's rather vague. By that logic you could say you found it under Papyrus's bed and are trying to-"

"Don't mention my brother please. i don't want to give you any ideas." Sans cut Alice off a bit rudely.

Alice was still absolutely baffled by what was presented to her, this strange striped cloth vaguely similar to Chara's but different in colors, and Sans wasn't helping. Someplace she hadn't been to? Then it had to have been a place Sans himself had been before. Given his movements from area to area in the Underground so far and this theory seemed perfectly plausible. The fact that Sans was forbidding her from bringing up Papyrus in this conversation made her very nervous. Papyrus had accepted her and she had accepted him, they were friends, and ultimately a common link between Sans and Alice despite the tensions they had. So whatever they were talking about was something Papyrus couldn't help Alice with and something Sans had kept hidden from his brother.

"Well then where did you find it?" The little girl tried again.

"well... if sounds like you genuinely don't know or don't remember the place so that's good. it means you really are new here."

 _New here? That seems preposterous, of course I'm new here._ Alice thought with a quizzical expression. After all, a first time was always a new time and this was Alice's first time in such a fantastical situation though not the first time she daydreamed of one. The tone in which Sans was speaking to her regarding that she was new here sounded like that of someone who had experienced similar instances. Like if an architect was talking to a client about a previous famous building they had done that the client had no knowledge of. In other words, Sans seemed to be saying that a human had visited before Alice did which did make sense given the six human souls that she had been told about by Chara yet… something seemed different.

"You make it sound like at some point I visited here… and I'm still not quite certain about… this." Alice murmured hesitantly.

"... how much do you know about the underground works alice? you're a sharp cookie. surely you've come up with some half 'baked' theory." Sans temperament seemed to shift as he made another one of his puns.

Alice flinched. Truthfully she liked to carry herself as though she was fully aware of how the Underground worked but it was apparent she hadn't fully discovered all there was to this place. Also the way Sans was taunting her about her theorizing and logic rubbed a sensitive spot in Alice's heart. It wasn't like she was just coming up with ideas for idea's sake, she was genuinely trying to make sense of this world and find clues that could help with the ultimate goal of freeing the monsters. Didn't Sans understand that?

"Well I know about the DETERMINATION, everything you've and your brother told me, some stories and rumors here and there, and also some of the past events and history here. What else is there to know?"

"you haven't died yet have you?" Sans asked this particular question as though it was a very natural thing to do so.

"D-died…? Well of course I haven't died! If I had then you'd probably be using my soul right now as we speak with the other souls to break the barrier!" Alice bellowed.

"not with your determination. Rather, you'd RESET as soon as you found the will to keep going on."

"RESET?"

Alice shivered, the sound of the word alone being something that held as much meaning as SOULS and DETERMINATION did. 'Reset' was a rare word, a word that essentially meant to 'set again or differently'. There wasn't much practical meaning to the word in Alice's lifestyle but even then it seemed to be one of those words that had great influence when it was used. In fact it reminded her of the Mad Tea Party, where the Mad Hatter would continuously reset Alice's chances of drinking tea by having her 'move down'. That had not only been frustrating and uncanny, but it had definitely set the awkward and crazy pace of the tea party for Alice. She found herself staring at the candlelight again, afraid of hearing San's answer.

"... Yeah you definitely are the eight child then. Basically there's this… higher power in the Underground that only those with enough DETERMINATION can use. You restart everything back to a certain point. Any events, any deaths, any actions are instantly reversed. It's kind of like time travel only it's not going back to a specific spot in history but rather going back to where you last rested. For some it's a hell, for others it's a chance to make things right. Problem is… there doesn't really seem to be any leads." Sans explained with an odd mixture of understanding and futility.

Alice instinctively put her hands to her heart, trying to calm down a sudden surge of nerves. Sans had, without even trying to go easy on her, made several statements that shook the foundation of what Alice had been trying to understand. The concept of a RESET appeared to be some sort of time travel, a concept that was very secretive and ultimately a thing of fantasy in Alice's time. _To travel back in time is not so much of a blessing and learning opportunity as it is a chance to cause greater inconsistencies and steer things against nature's will,_ Alice thought grimly. The only practical use of something like this would be to undo someone's mistakes or to buy time from something particular happening to come up with some preparations. It was much too intimidating to think about right now and yet something about it was very curious to Alice. What if she could reset back to before she followed Chara down the rabbithole? Was that even possible? Sans did say it'd take her back to where she last rested… was that just a theory of his or was it possible Alice could go back further than that? And even then, she had reseted several times in the Underground, and then there was the other more shocking revelation of Alice being the eighth child.

"Eight child? H-how can that be…? If there was a seventh child here before me wouldn't their soul have been collected and the barrier destroyed…? O-or wouldn't say Undyne or someone have known about it?" Alice asked softly.

"good question, now this is where you come in… and your LIES. Where is the seventh child?" Sans right eye seemed to glow as he asked a very probing question.

Alice looked stupefied. The last time she was accused of something she had absolutely no involvement in or no intentions towards was the Queen of Hearts trial where the Cheshire Cat had gotten her into trouble. Yet this time, she was accused of making some seventh child she hadn't met yet… disappear. _Wait, what if he's referring to Chara?_ Alice realized with a jolt. Chara was the only 'human' she had met so far besides herself but even then they were more of a strange mixture between a ghost and a human with their presence. Not to mention Chara never mentioned which of the six children he had been and sounded extremely aware of the oldest traditions and ideas that the Underground had contained. Although thinking about it this way implied he was one of the earliest ones, to have gathered that much information. Even then, Alice was too afraid of opening up about Chara to these monsters, what if they suspected she was still involved with him? On the other hand, besides Chara, there was nobody else that Alice could think of being the seventh human. Wasn't she the supposed seventh human to begin with? Undyne said they needed her soul after all and just her soul to break the barrier. She hadn't mentioned there being two humans at any point during their time in the Underground. _Indeed, all she said was they collected six so far so why the inconsistency?_ Alice debated. In truth, this must've been something Sans alone knew and that was rather suspicious.

"I haven't seen any other humans Sans." Alice sighed.

"Funny, neither have we. Yet… you're here, and I haven't ever seen you before. But… it's unlikely you took his place, because RESETS don't work like that. Not to mention I still have this." Sans held the scrap of fabric as he talked.

Alice took a moment to think about what Sans was implying. It seemed that if someone was to do a RESET, anything that was left unchanged or could still be changed was reverted back to the point of time the resetter was choosing. But if they were dead, or perhaps kept someplace where they could not change, then they were unaffected by the flow of time and left in their current state. Then the question remained… HOW did they get to be in that state in the first place? Naturally Alice didn't know this seventh child but for Sans to clutching this piece of fabric so confidently was unnerving.

"...Y-you shouldn't be bragging about having a piece of someone's shirt like that. You realize that this means you stole it from their… corpse…" Alice's face turned pale.

"..." Sans suddenly looked a bit more glum.

"Then… you've KILLED humans before haven't you…?"

"let's just say my track record with humans isn't exactly a Bone+ or higher…"

If Alice could, she would've possibly slammed her fists on the table but ultimately she was in a public restaurant in a hotel and there was no grounds for her to do something like that. Everything about Sans right now was beginning to make her not only distrust him, but also rather dislike him. For this to be his true self was appalling and countered Papyrus's expectations and thoughts of him to a T. _At this point I would prefer seeing him being lazy,_ Alice thought angrily. This anger gave her a bit more confidence to at least speak her mind.

"Enough with the jokes! How do I know if this 'seventh child' has already been killed by you monsters and you simply don't know where his corpse is?" Alice challenged Sans.

"Because. In the previous timeline, he was there. He ended up dead. Then there was a full RESET back to the first day the seventh human fell into the Underground. I had picked up this scrap of fabric on a whim in the previous timeline a while before the RESET… but I still had it with me for some reason when I woke up the first morning of this timeline. A little later, I went over to the Ruins and heard some mysterious female voice different from the one I usually share jokes with. YOU. What do you suppose that means?"

Alice took a moment to think about this. If she used, say 'Alice' as an example, perhaps 'Alice' had been slain after attempting to use Genocide as the way to escape the Underground in vain. _Wait, then who would've performed the RESET in the first place?_ A dead human could perform no such action… and Alice certainly wasn't here in the last timeline. Although Alice had to admit that talking about 'timelines' so casually was very uncomfortable. It was as though she were some ancient deity talking about the blessings they would bestow upon the people. It seemed vastly out of her element and yet, the Underground had proven to have the capacity for such mystifying powers.

"It means that, or could theoretically mean, that the seventh human lost the DETERMINATION to RESET and remained dead… but then… who caused the RESET to begin with? Monsters can't perform something like that right…?" Alice asked.

Sans looked a bit surprised, and turned to look at the cloth in his hand more closely. It seemed he too was performing some thinking of his own.

"Not a bad idea actually… maybe there's something we're overlooking in regards to this kid's disappearance. That doesn't explain why you are here though. You want to know what I think? Someone brought you here on purpose to serve a role… or maybe because your agenda worked well with theirs. Or they used you to RESET without even knowing you did so. Ultimately… it means you're untrustworthy and someone's pawn from the beginning. You're here to replace the seventh human and thus the seventh human is missing. He's likely dead, if this fabric didn't return to him, and his soul is lingering around somewhere."

"..." Alice couldn't even fathom a response.

In a way, Sans had a valid point. Were she in his slippers she'd naturally be suspicious about something out of place in a familiar scenario. It was true Chara had hinted at needing Alice to be alive and was desiring a greater power in the Underground much like Flowey was. So Alice was being considered in their plots and being accounted for. Also, Alice didn't exactly understand why she was here beyond that she had seen Chara and followed him down the rabbit hole into another realm and time period. But one thing she knew is that she was in control of her destiny. There would be nobody telling her what was wrong and what she must do. She wasn't a pawn of someone's game, she was the one who dreamed of a world of her own, and ended up in this one of her own free will. This seventh human appeared to be part of that as well. Ultimately though, Sans continued with the grim pressure,

"So Alice, I think it's clear you've met someone before any of us in those RUINS. Who was it? The seventh human?"

There was only Chara that Alice could offer. But that name had made Flowey spare her and even show some unusual vulnerabilities that Alice hadn't had the time to decipher. That was oddly enough a positive effect for her but Flowey was an antagonist, someone who tried to kill her first glance, who was stressing the nature of kill or be killed. What if she had told Toriel about Chara for instance? Would she have absolutely forbade her from leaving the Ruins? Papyrus wouldn't know about them presumably, Undyne would maybe consider her a deeper threat, Alphys was much too unpredictable now to even try, and right now the least desirable person to share this knowledge with was asking her to give out such knowledge. Any other ideas Alice had in mind seemed too daunting or had no clues to support it. But Alice took a deep breath and gave her answer,

"I-I assure you I have met no other humans… and j-just the concept of me being someone's pawn makes no sense. I-I voluntarily chose to look inside a rabbit hole and fell down here…"

"... a simple excuse. perhaps the reason you can't comprehend being a pawn is because your whole mindset is perfect for a pawn." Sans taunted with obvious disbelief towards Alice's answer.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Alice reacted sensitively and put her hands to her hips.

"you're a smart girl, but i've noticed your tendency to display your intelligence. the puzzles, social cues, being in the right morally, questions, and of course your curiousity. you think you know best most of the time and often hold this over others. you scold them, put them down, say rude things, and try to cloak it with proper mannerisms." Sans said, holding his finger up as though to emphasize her habits.

"G-granted I have accepted responsibility for being wrong if I was but that's going a bit too far. I wouldn't point out all your faults for instance Sans like you just did." Alice admitted her faults, knowing by now that it was true.

"didn't you just do that to the shopkeepers in the alleyway outside?" The skeleton pointed out to Alice's shock.

"...!"

Alice suddenly got a feeling of dread. What he was calling her out on was almost as if he had witnessed it first hand. She had completely forgot Sans had been around the area and with his natural slipperiness, he must've snuck over and overheard the entire conversation. That moment was indeed not Alice's finest hour and Sans was condemning her for it hard. She could accept him critiquing her bad habits and her habits that often got her into trouble but that was a complete misunderstanding. And worse, it implied he sympathized with Bratty and Catty wishing for the demise of humanity. That was not a healthy mindset at all. Even if his logic at times was sound, Alice had to acknowledge that Sans had his own warped way of thinking like all the other monsters.

"If someone saw that, someone with malicious intent to harm others and seek power, they would see you as perfect in their plot. They'd flatter your logic and reasoning, tell you you're right, and ultimately steer you into pursuing your own path… but subtly bend your mindset to theirs. Y'know what that leads to? GENOCIDE." Sans pupils disappeared as he gave a scathing analogy.

"... I-is that what happened in the previous timeline…?" Alice asked, genuinely intrigued but sounding scared.

Suddenly there was a jolt of movement and the sound of a chair falling to the ground and the table being shook. Alice's reaction was instinctive,

"Ahh….!" She raised her arms in a defensive measure.

"DON'T LIE TO MY FACE AND ACT LIKE YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU SUPPOSEDLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT." Sans words were as ferocious as a tiger's growl.

Alice peered timidly and anxiously to see San standing up and his right eye glowing blue like a mini inferno. Just like in that awful nightmare. The candle's flame on the table had been dispersed and Alice oddly enough felt more cornered now than when Undyne had pinned her to the edge of that bridge. She had crossed a very sensitive line with Sans just now. While theorizing the differences in the timelines was allowed, the actual contents were forbidden. Perhaps in a way that was for the best but right now Alice was out of moves to make. She couldn't reach out to Sans in this position anymore. Throwing out Chara's name would do no good either. The only solace she had right now was the safety of a public environment where she couldn't be killed without… _Wait no, that's not exactly true,_ Alice remembered. _My death means they are all free after all…_ Should she die here, someone could grab her SOUL and take it to Asgore without even feeling a trace of guilt because it would mean they'd finally be free. The hopes and dreams of many against the humanity of one.

"look alice, all i'm asking out of ya is honesty. but your personality shifts are so severe and you were not meant to be here. the reasons why are unknown but that leaves you in a state where you can decide the fate of this world. yet you lack the humility and self-control for us to believe you would help. putting all our hopes and dreams on you is a gigantic risk and because of your sensitive pride you could be denying yourself from truly finding 'another way'. ultimately... Your DETERMINATION is someone else's and your under the belief it's yours." Sans softened his tone enough to sound casual but his eye still glowed.

Alice lowered her arms and rested them in her lap. She was feeling awfully numb right now. She didn't even look at him, staring at the candle, wishing it would ignite again. It gave her DETERMINATION. DETERMINATION that was quickly fading away...

"S-so that's it then…? You genuinely believe I wouldn't be able to free you or your brother or anyone else?" She asked quietly.

"... i don't believe you CAN'T, i just don't know if you would… i'll admit you seem honest in trying to find another way but… what happens if you begin to question yourself? madness, that's what." Sans seemed to be purposely using some of the ideas Alice had told him of against her.

"..."

"i'll be going now alice. if i see you again… i'd hope you'd be prepared. you still have more challenges to face and a decision to make with king asgoat. please, don't lose your way." Sans made a pun that didn't comfort Alice in the slightest before he walked away.

Alice felt as though she had been abandoned in some big and dark place with no light or heat, finding herself gripping the tablecloth tightly for some sense of security. She had never felt so humiliated and torn before, feeling that her dignity and decision-making had been ripped to shreds. Sans didn't trust her, presumably not since that first time he overheard her and Toriel at the RUINS. Not even when Papyrus had fully trusted Alice and they spent memories together of breakfast and snowball fights. It almost was as if Papyrus didn't matter to Sans in terms of decision-making, Sans felt he knew what was best towards people and didn't regard his brother very highly. All this stuff about RESETS and a timeline that was taboo to speak about only worsened Alice's situation. Madness was definitely the appropriate word to use for this entire situation. There was a lot of correct observations but also observations Alice didn't understand or was being connected to despite her not being involved. While she was wallowing in pity, she suddenly heard a somewhat plain middle-aged man's voice with a slight chirp to her left,

"Hello there there girl. Are you ok? Do you need some laughter?"

"Hmm?" With no motive to react protectively, Alice weakly looked over.

She was surprised to see what looked like Snowdrake from Snowdin Forest, yet he seemed bigger, older, with glasses and a pink bowtie. The resemblance did make Alice feel a bit less nervous about this monster speaking to her all of a sudden and it also made her wonder if he was perhaps the 'dad' that Snowdrake had mentioned. Alice hadn't considered it important when Snowdrake had spoken it that moment but now it suddenly seemed to be very relevant. She regained her composure and released the tablecloth, clearing her throat to speak.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry for making you concerned about me. I'm alright. Who are you?" Alice asked.

"I'm the resort comedian. I'm very funny. People laugh at my jokes." He explained.

"The MTT Resort correct?"

The comedian nodded.

"Huh, when you're in a heated discussion you tend to forget your surroundings." Alice looked around the MTT Resort a bit closely now that Sans was away.

There seemed to be a few monsters around the restaurant including a muscular red bull-like creature with a lemon-lime green shirt, forest green pants and black shoes and a small round mouse-like creature with a safety helmet and red shoes. A grand wooden stage was off to the side with gold glass walls to presumably reflect the performer's image for those to see. There was definitely something elegant yet welcoming about this place. _Hard to believe Mettaton planned it,_ Alice thought as she would've imagined him using more gaudy colors and decor. Realizing she was losing track of her wandering mind, she paid attention to the comedian just in time to hear what he had to say.

"Oddly enough it's never heated here. Always fun and exciting. Make people laugh."

"If that is the case, why'd you come to check up on me?" Alice asked politely.

"Was on my break. You seemed a bit unhappy. After the skeleton went away. Wanted to see if you were ok. A fathah's instinct." He replied somewhat jovially.

"That's very sweet of you, thank you sir. If I may inquire, is your son named Snowdrake?" Alice held a finger up gently as she made her question.

The comedian flinched and looked surprised, a genuine pleasant surprise.

"Ah! You've met my son! How is he doing?!" He asked.

"Wonderful if I may be honest! He's got a lovely sense of humor and-"

"You really think so? Does he still tell awful puns?" The comedian suddenly looked a bit stern.

"Uh… w-well I wouldn't use such a strong word like 'awful'. I've been hearing a lot of puns ever since I've arrived here after all. Plus he seems to be really trying hard. Why do you ask?" Alice suddenly felt slightly bristly when she realized that the comedian might be upset about this.

"He's an embarrassment to our family. Doesn't make people laugh. Except for you. Ha ha ha ha… That's not funny." The comedian suddenly seemed to be self-deprecating himself.

"..." Alice decided to let the comedian continue before losing her temper.

"Since his mothah passed on, he couldn't stand. Living at home anymore. So he ran away. Haven't seen him since. Glad you were able to though. I'm a terrible fathah. Ha ha ha ha… That's not funny."

Alice did feel quite bad for this comedian. Losing his wife was a tragedy and then his son being perhaps heartbroken or mad about the situation leaving right afterward was bound to leave an impact. It oddly reminded Alice of Napstablook's tale. Alice decided to try to comfort him much like how he had attempted to comfort her. She hugged him and patted his wings.

"Please don't beat yourself up over things that were out of your control. I know your son still cares quite deeply about you and I'm certain that were you two to speak again, you'd reconcile." She spoke softly.

The comedian didn't answer, rather he let out a small, honest, and even happy laugh. It wasn't the most reassuring sign of being cheered up but it was a sign. Alice decided to let go of the comedian for now and go explore the MTT Hotel some more. After all, Sans said she had more challenges to face and no matter what, she would not give up on trying to find another way through the barrier. _Come to think of it I wonder why he didn't tell me what the barrier looks like,_ Alice pondered. Only now did the little girl realize she had no idea what this barrier looked like and it seemed counterproductive for nobody to tell her what it consisted of. Unless it was made of pure magic in which case it could literally look like anything. Maybe Sans had hid its appearance on purpose for some reason.

"That doesn't really matter now does it? I need to refocus…" Alice scolded herself as she realized she was going off-topic again.

Alice decided to speak with the other monsters in the area first. The red muscular monster talked about how they dug mazes with puzzles to foil human attacks but it turned into an awful tradition. They groaned about how you can't go two feet without being caught in a puzzle. The monster in the safety helmet talked about how they worked at the CORE and a maze of swappable parts. They seemed to have had a fun day shuffling the layout today. _I wonder if this means it's never the same CORE twice,_ Alice pondered curiously. Passing towards the entrance, she noticed a large, green, fish-like monster who told her she had to reserve practically everything to eat at this restaurant. Clearly Sans had done just that or perhaps had used his strange teleportation to sneak by but it didn't really matter. Stepping out into the hotel lobby, Alice was amazed by how shiny everything was. A stellar gold and peach checkered print on the floor, a rich red carpet, potted plants, a two-tiered fountain with an image of Mettaton spitting out a stream of water… onto the floor?

"Eh? Someone must've misaimed the fountain's flow when they were building it." She spoke in surprise as she saw a fairly large and growing puddle on the floor.

It was actually kind of amusing to her that such a pristine hotel had such a simple and obvious flaw. It cheered Alice up a bit as she wandered over to where a few monsters were gathered outside an elevator. One looked like a small and anxious dragon talking to someone on a phone, the other looked oddly like a chimera or mythical cat with a spiked tail, two red heels on its front paws, black hair, and glasses. The third looked almost like a human girl, cloaked in a long black dress with a black flip hairdo and a red bowtie. Alice decided to inquire what was going on with them waiting outside the elevator. The dragon appeared to be in a conversation with someone they cared about, telling them about cold pizza in his treasure horde that this person could heat up. As for the others…

"This elevator goes straight up to the capital. But it's stopped working. The hotel's doing their best to accommodate everybody stuck here." Said the cat monster.

"An elevator to the capital…? Does the king often have visitors?" Alice asked.

"From what I can tell, yes. He's very sociable with us. Of course no one has been able to visit him like this unless they go through the CORE and nobody's up for that."

"Makes sense if it's truly a maze like I've heard." Alice pondered as she eyed the elevator curiously.

Somehow though that seemed strange. Why would any ruler have such an easy and accessible path to their own castle? It's like an invitation for assassins and thieves to make a move on the king's safety and wealth. But in another way, maybe the reason for this elevator existing was that the king and his people held a great trust and respect for one another. He was perfectly alright and on good enough terms to let people visit. Monster Kid had mentioned that Asgore had came to visit his school so this did show a sense of security and almost relaxation regarding the events in the Underground. _Wait, where is the school though?_ Alice asked herself as she hadn't seen anything remotely resembling a school and the library at Snowdin was much too small to be one. Either way, the main point was that this elevator was more symbolic than it appeared to be and that Asgore built it knowing no human could possibly get this far. Despite this prideful mistake, the elevator being broken did mean Alice would be forced to take the long way and so Asgore in a sense had gotten lucky. Speaking to the last monster, the one cloaked in black, and Alice found they were a slime and were outraged at the elevator's lack of function.

"I'm sure it'll resume working functionally sooner than later." Alice reassured the slime before noticing something to the left of the elevator.

Two large glass doors with a rather fanciful orange text layered over it like a sign. They said 'MTT' and had an image of a burger to the right of it. If Alice had to guess, it was perhaps some cafe or food establishment. She was feeling a bit hungry from the empty dinner promises Sans had made and she knew food could improve her mood a bit, so she decided to step inside.

"Welcome to MTT-Brand Burger Emporium, home of the Glamburger. Sparkle up your day (™)." A somewhat deep-sounding male voice from someone who seemed about high school age greeted her in.

The voice in question seemed to be coming from a deep brown cat with a pink nose, a little hat that was yellow with red markings on it, and a pale red short-sleeved shirt. Alice was already liking the looks of this extremely as she smiled happily at seeing another cat.

"Wow! Two cats in one day! Oh Dinah would be so envious of me! Granted the cats aren't nearly as animated up there as they are down here…" She corrected herself on her slight favoritism before going too far.

"Two…? Cats…? Oh boy." The cat seemed to have an idea of who she meant by the first cat and looked down in shame.

At that moment Alice got a chance to get a closer look at the Emporium itself, seeing a rather blinding yellow wallpaper and metal furnishings that seemed to be holding menu items, slips of paper, cooking tools, and other things. What stood out most was the menu, large and held by Mettaton insignia, featuring four menu items in full color and with descriptions. One looked like some lavish and delicious pudding in a tall glass, the other looked like a long human-shaped sandwich, a burger suspiciously purple and sparkling, and steak… in the shape of Mettaton's face? Alice did a double take and saw that it was indeed his face. _His vanity knows no bounds,_ Alice groaned. Ultimately, Alice decided that the pudding looked and seemed the most appealing to her right now and so she pointed at it and asked,

"Excuse me sir? May I request the first item on the menu?"

"Oh the Starfait…? It's very popular food. The only thing I really love here actually… That'll be 60G." The cat seemed to give a meek and strained smile.

"... A-alright." Alice was a bit thrown off by his tense smile but paid.

"Thanksy! Have a FABU-FUL day!" The cat gave an extremely prominent grin that rivaled the Cheshire Cat's.

Taking a sip into the Starfait once the cat handed it to her and Alice found it was absolutely enchanting. Like vanilla ice cream mixed with all sorts of lovely and luscious fruits for a tangy and refreshing mixture. She knew she had been having a lot of sweets since she been down here but she always found those to be the more fun things to try. Feeling rejuvenated, Alice decided to get to know the cat better. He was still standing attentive, looking from side to side and over to her and the door. It was as though he was expecting someone else to enter.

"So excuse my abrupt interest but what is your name?" Alice asked.

The cat flinched though and seemed to be hiding behind a forced smile. He was jittery and anxious and it was making Alice slightly uneasy.

"What? Why do you keep talking to me? I'll get in trouble if I get chummy with the customers." The cat explained.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I was just hoping to get to know you better. I have a cat at home named Dinah you see and she's a lot less… lively than you are. I love her just the same." Alice clarified as eloquently as she could.

"Oh… that's kind of nice… does she… wait, you're talking about a real cat right? Cause monsters and cats are kind of different…"

"Well of course I am. What else could I possibly mean by cat?" Alice folded her arms.

"I-it's nothing… Sorry. … SO, I wanted to be an ACTOR." The cat looked frazzled and stressed as he held his arms out dramatically but it did seem he was now up for conversation.

"An actor? That does seem like a very nice dream job. Performing, memorizing and reciting scripts, taking on different roles and bringing them to life…" Alice shared her support of the idea.

"Yeah but… being in the Underground has little opportunity for television roles. Mettaton's clogged them all up. There's also another thing…" The cat grumbled before shockingly pulling out what looked like a cigar and lighting it with a lighter.

"Another?"

"Take it from me, little buddy. I'm getting on in years, so let me give you some advice, little buddy-"

"Did you really have to say it twice? That's rather redundant…" Alice had to interject as the cat put the freshly lit cigarette into his mouth and began to blow smoke that she had to wave away with her hand.

"My whole LIFE'S become redundant! You've still got time. Don't be like me. I'm 19 years old and I've already wasted my entire life." The cat leaned in close and seemed to be giving Alice some cold hard advice.

 _What could I possibly end up as when I'm 19?_ Alice thought suddenly. It was something she hadn't a remote chance to think about even before falling in the Underground. She was so content being idle as a little girl in her daydreams and English life. Careers, the concept of love that the monsters had brought up, and even the possibility of trying to take care of herself had been something Alice had no plans in mind for. Wonderland was not real after all, there was no future for her there. She did appreciate that this cat was opening up about a topic that seemed so real and grounded compared to what Sans had just spoken with her about. It allowed her to calm her anxiety and feel a bit more confident about herself.

"You may have a strong point actually. Perhaps I could end up as a writer…" Alice thought aloud.

"Writing's ok… in my wildest dreams you'd be writing my scripts I bet little buddy." The cat teased as he blew some smoke away from her.

"I doubt I'm suited for that sort of scripture… on that note, what other advice do you have?"

"Listen. I like you, little buddy. So, I'm going to save you a lot of trouble. Never interact with attractive people. Unless you're "one of them," they're just going to take advantage of you. Like that time those two chicks asked me to sneak them some glamburgers. And I, naive teenager that I was, said yes to them." The cat seemed to be going into a topic Alice was much less familiar with.

"I take it you are talking about Bratty and Catty?" She said as she finished sipping her Starfait.

"Bad idea." The cat nodded glumly as he appeared much more meek again.

 _His expressions are certainly dramatic enough to be an actor's,_ Alice decided. Tilting her head, she waited for him to continue with his story.

"So I went out to the alley to see those two ladies, and uh… you know, see what'd happen next. … Then my boss, uh, saw me and asked what I was doing. I was so startled, the hamburgers in my pockets tumbled out onto the ground. Not wanting to lose face, I scrambled to pick them up! But, as I was leaning over, the weight of the remaining hamburgers… caused my pants to fall down. Then the girls laughed at me." The cat seemed to diminish his cigarette on an ashtray as he sounded very vulnerable.

"Oh no… that's a very sad story. It even lacks a moral." Alice pointed out.

"The moral IS to not try to hit on hot girls in the alleyway… and now everyone calls me Burgerpants." The cat finally gave some indication of his name.

"Burgerpants…? Really…? Do you have a true name…?"

"Uh… yeah but, no way can I muster up enough courage to share it anymore." Burgerpants shivered as he clasped his hands together and gave a forced smile.

"S-should we change the subject then?" Alice asked, hoping to try to cheer him up in some way.

"Well I could vent about my boss to you if you want."

"Hmm… my sister has mentioned stories of that caliber before to me. So who is your boss?" Alice asked as she set her empty Starfait glass on the counter and leaned her arms on it.

"Mettaton. *Sigh* When I first came to Hotland, my dream was to work with Mettaton. … Well, be careful what you wish for, little buddy!" Burgerpants grimaced as he took the Starfait glass and put it away.

"I have a hunch on what characteristics of his put you off but what's your view of him?"

"God, have you even looked around? This place is a labyrinth of bad choices. And every time we try to change something for the better, he vetoes it and says "that's not how they do it on the surface." He mimicked Mettaton's voice hilariously.

"*Giggle* Like the water fountain in the lobby?" Alice offered.

"ESPECIALLY the water fountain in the lobby! I slipped on it just the other day! But that's not the worst of it! Oh! Right! Humans are always eating hamburgers made of SEQUINS and GLUE." Burgerpants lamented, slamming his palm onto the purple burger on the menu.

"Oh dear, that sounds positively disgusting… and inconsiderate on his part." Alice agreed.

"Like seriously! Why do people find him so attractive? He's literally just a freaking rectangle."

Alice had to resist the urge to reference Papyrus's 'sexy rectangle' comment to Burgerpants as she felt it would've done more harm than good. That was a good question though… even in a dress he didn't look very appealing. Then again, Alphys probably hadn't designed Mettaton to be ALL about style and substance in the beginning, even when she had listened to his request when he was a ghost. The ghost's wish in the diary was to be a star, he didn't ask to be a supermodel or someone extremely attractive. Alphys built him to impress Asgore and to demonstrate her skills as the Royal Scientist. Ultimately, there really was a lot more to Mettaton than met the eye despite the fact some facts were of questioning consistency. _Although if both of them have lackluster cuisine capabilities, wouldn't that make Papyrus and Mettaton perfect for one another?_ Alice had another silly thought of hers.

"... You know, one time, I bought one of those, uh, kits online… to… Uh, make yourself more rectangular. … They don't work." Burgerpants confessed.

"Yeah… I don't even think that's a possible shape for the monsters down here." Alice offered her opinion with a hand wave.

"Nothing's really possible anymore… it sucks." He groaned.

"Well… what do you intend to do for your future? Like if-"

"Future? WHAT future? Nothing down here EVER changes. I'll probably be trapped at this stupid job forever. … But wait! There's one thing that keeps me going! If ASGORE gets just one more SOUL, we'll finally get to the surface! It'll be a brand new world! There's gotta be a second chance out there for me! For everyone! So stay strong, little buddy. When I make it big, I'll keep you in mind." Burgerpants suddenly went on an impassioned speech that left Alice feeling a rush of emotions.

 _This again…_ Was the first thought Alice had. But something about this speech was different from the other ones. Perhaps it was his youth and his position as someone in a lousy job that made his words seem so much more genuine than say Bratty or Catty, or the menacing Undyne. It was no different from a prisoner wrongly imprisoned and desiring a chance to be free. It was rather moving to hear this sort of perspective after all she'd been through. Were Alice not a human, she'd have probably felt a great sense of camaraderie with him right now but since she was a human, there was the third feeling of regret. If there truly was no other way and Alice was forced to either sacrifice herself or escape by herself…

 **OR RESET.**

Then she'd felt like she was going to let Burgerpants' dreams down.

"I-I appreciate that…" Alice admitted, suddenly feel a rush of emotion as she decided she knew what most valued here.

"Y-you do…?"

"There is a reason for it. It's because I'm going to find another way out of the Underground without giving myself up or anyone else up to the Barrier."

"Little buddy..." Burgerpants sounded caught off-guard by Alice's sudden change from a listener to someone who was speaking very motivationally.

Then Alice grasped Burgerpants paws gently and firmly, standing on her tippy toes to face him face to face as she suddenly let out what would be a promise to motivate her from here on in,

"I really appreciate how much you care about me and I want to thank you so much for giving me some encouragement and support. Once we're free I'll do my best to give you as much support finding a second chance as possible."

"But I'm only talking nonsense… like it's just one small hope against Mettaton's hel-, grip on my future." Burgerpants sounded very flustered at this but yet in his eyes he seemed to be agreeing her.

"With enough DETERMINATION, anything is possible. And I'm also well-known for thinking nonsensically. Nothing can stop nonsense from becoming a path for me. Plus, I'll likely be needing to find a job when I'm old enough. It could be good practice." Alice offered a friendly smile.

"Well, you certainly don't SOUND like you're trying to take advantage of me… yet. But seriously, let go. If Mettaton catches me AGAIN doing something crazy, then I'm in the gutter…" Burgerpants tried to pull away.

"R-right! I'm sorry… I've gone through so many changes since this morning that I sometimes feel like myself and then not myself and then have to regain myself." Alice clarified as she placed her hands in her pockets.

"... I don't get it."

"Quite frankly neither do I sometimes. That's part of why I'm still learning and growing as an individual. You will too, and I'll try to help you and everyone else find your future above ground." Alice remarked.

"... Heh, I'll hold you on that little buddy. So you got a name of your own?" He asked, leaning on the counter with a much more natural smile.

"My name is Alice. I'll be departing now but once things are resolved, I'll see you again." Alice gave an elegant curtsy as she gave her introduction.

"Any time Alice, little buddy o'mine." Burgerpants gave a farewell as Alice left the doors to the Burger Emporium.

Alice decided there was little more to do besides investigating the rest of the Hotel. All she really found was that there was a hallway to four occupied rooms, some locked and some with the roommates asking for service, and a busy, slimy janitor. The monster managing the counter said that rooms were 200G and left Alice to decline the offer of staying overnight and there was another monster over by the original entranceway who seemed to hold a lot of pride in the MTT Resort's capabilities. With the MTT Resort explored, and much smaller than Alice had accounted for though it might've been because of the elevator's broken state, Alice entered through the other pair of doors in the back of the Resort. It led her to a fairly elegant balcony with green bushes and some lights on the wood railing, leading with a wood bridge out towards her destination. As Alice approached the destination though, she noticed something shocking.

"W-who are they…?" She whispered.

Two black humanoid shapes were standing on the end of the bridge, which also seemed to be where the wood was illuminated by a deep blue light. She could see piping similar to that of Hotland's, but much more complex with red and blue colors and orange glowing flames in what appeared to be furnaces. The two shapes didn't appear to be facing Alice though she had no way of knowing as she couldn't make out any detail of them. They walked into the CORE as Alice's phone rang. Suddenly reminded of who had been responsible for most of these calls, Alice answered it.

"Huh? Who are they? N-nobody else is s-supposed to be here…" Alphys sounded confused.

"Are they workers going out on a shift…? One of the monsters inside the Resort-"

"T-the shift started a while ago today… t-that can't be it… Oh well! We can't worry about that now!" Alphys interrupted Alice before hanging up again.

"... So this is the CORE…" Alice looked at it with a sense of awe at having reached it from the last time she witnessed it.

Nearing a violent blue entrance way with strange markings and a red light around it, Alice knew she was going to be in for perhaps the most daunting location yet. _On that note of repetition from earlier,_ Alice thought, _it does seem like my journey keeps finding ways of trying to intimidate me. It's not going to work, not after I've come this far._ Renewed in spirit, Alice took her first steps into the mysterious CORE…

To Be Continued...


	27. Core Conundrum

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 26 Core Conundrum

Alice was fully expecting something alarmingly futuristic and mechanical, but what she saw was nothing like she had envisioned properly. Blue walls and unusual geometric patterns done in lines of a lighter shade of blue, glass panels, two entryways marked by a glowing red sign, and an elevator straight in front of her. Some unusual chart with untranslatable green text was planted above it and made Alice wonder if such thorough detail and signs was a trademark of this new time period she found herself in. Alice was left staring in awe until her phone rang obnoxiously. Knowing exactly who the caller was, she was a bit surprised to hear what they had to say,

"Ready? This is it! Take the elevator up to the top of the CORE!"

"It can't really be that easy could it? Even in Wonderland the seemingly straightforward things often revealed a bizarre turn…" Alice murmured as she pushed the button.

As the little girl predicted, the elevator didn't give any following noise or indication it was working. Alphys quickly responded back,

"What? The elevator should be working…"

"Perhaps Mettaton tampered with it, or those mysterious figures I just saw." Alice suggested.

"... W-well then! Go to the right and keep heading up!" Alphys sounded shaky.

"Hold on a moment, why shouldn't I take the left path?"

"I-it's the longer way… there should be a m-much more straightforward path t-to where you need to go on the right…" Alphys explained.

"You sound nervous Alphys. Is everything alright?" Alice asked, not out of sympathy but more out of a hope to clear this increasing tension.

"Sorry… I'm getting t-the feeling Mettaton has been… u-up to something." Alphys sighed sadly.

Alice agreed with that, but she was still sure Alphys was in on some sort of scheme with Mettaton so this admission was more of a lie than anything else. Although Alphys did admit to Alice earlier that before helping Alice, she had very low self-esteem so surely that was her primary motive in trying to lead Alice on, right? In truth, Alice wanted to take the left path but she decided that in such an unfamiliar environment, it was best to listen to reason. Alice decided not to hang up as she went to investigate the right path. To her dismay, and presumably Alphys's, there was a black pit with flames blazing gently from it. It was like a flower garden set on fire. Something about the flames and what this meant was actually enough to make Alice a bit unsettled.

"Wh… where'd this pit come from?" Alphys asked when she noticed the incident as well.

"Clearly the Core changes aren't very diverse if pits aren't normal here." Alice remarked.

"You should be able to walk across here…" Alphys sounded fairly glum.

"Well, no use fussing over it. The left one is the only path we can take."

Alice turned on her heel and walked over to the left path from the entrance hall. When she did though, she suddenly noticed a strange monster flying over to her. It was a bird-sized creature with a hooked face and cheesy grin with its eyes and head eclipsed by a tall curled witch's hat. It was wearing some sort of robe with a curled neckline, and two heeled boots. It was almost like a cute little witch but it's appearance seemed more more ambiguous in gender and what sort of powers it possessed. Madjick pops out of its hat! This magical mercenary only says magic words. _Must be a very polite monster then,_ Alice reasoned. She was glad it wasn't something of a daunting size or looking too terribly intimidating but she was still prepared to pacify her way out of the situation.

"Please and thank you." Madjick said with a very quirky, high-pitched voice.

Alice noticed that a magical orb started flying around her, leaving behind a cross-shaped insignia occasionally. Alice saw that these insignias were staying mid-air, like some sort of trap and it led her to be careful in dodging and navigating this attack. There was also an obscure smell in the air that was apparently magic. As it whispered arcane swear words, Alice noticed two orbs flying by it, the Chaser Orb and the Corner Orb. By staring at the intimidating Corner Orb, she seemed to weaken its power.

"Abra cadabra." Madjick spoke again.

To Alice's surprise, this time the orb seemed to emit cross-shaped projectiles in a slow but consistent surge towards her, and the orb even teleported mid-attack to send more projectiles from a new angle. Alice unfortunately found herself hit by where two of these projectiles seemed to converge and winced as it felt like a small rock had just hit her arm. As the little girl rubbed her arm, Madjick seemed to be doing a mysterious jig that Alice found slightly amusing. Alice then stared at the other orb, the unrelenting Chaser Orb, which crippled its attacks well.

"Alakazam!" Madjick cried.

Now it was a trio of orbs that were summoned by Madjick and trying to hit Alice, bouncing off one another and floating irregularly. Fortunately, these proved to be the easiest to dodge and with the orbs pacified, Alice was able to spare the Madjick. As it flew away, Aphys expressed further concern,

"Th-that was close… Wh… why are there so many monsters here?"

"That was only one monster. Do you see something suggesting otherwise?" Alice asked.

"I-it's just… unexpected. The Core isn't u-usually so habited… I mean… it's no problem, r-r-right? W-w-we've just got to keep heading forward! …" Alphys hung up abruptly.

Alice was starting to get an increasingly sinking feeling about this whole situation. Not only was this area so much more foreboding and bizarre than the other ones, but it seemed to be boggling Alphys as to how it was planned. Or was she pretending to be so boggled? It troubled Alice deeply because for the most part, Alphys had been working alongside her and had also been supporting her journey. Now all of a sudden she sounded very unprepared and even dismissive of what the Core was about. _Even the locals seem more knowledgeable about the Core than she does right now,_ Alice realized. On the other hand, Alice considered she might just be a bit more paranoid because of the Sans encounter and maybe she was overthinking Alphys's behavior. Regardless, all that was left for Alice to do was to move on. She noticed there were six strange pillars of a mechanical nature off the path with somewhat totem-esque markings on them as well as a curious emblem over the entranceway to the next path. It looked like a knight's shield and sword with angelic wings over it which gave a somewhat ethereal appearance to an otherwise robotic room. As she entered the next room she suddenly noticed a familiar-looking obstacle.

"Not this silliness again." She groaned.

A blue laser was completely blocking her path, which consisted of a glassy bridge that looked quite strange with colored lights seemingly within it. Blue, yellow, and purple vials were hung on the wall in front of her in sets of three and there was a fairly obvious looking switch in front of her.

"Oh so I just need to push it then." Alice said to herself.

But then the phone rang again. Alice was nearly at her wit's end having to constantly answer each and every of Alphys's calls and considering how strange she was behaving, it'd be in her best interests not to. Sympathetic motives or not, Alphys was still being bothersome to the little girl's own adventure and attempt to free the Underground. Alice gave it some brief serious thought before she answered it with a resigned sigh.

"Looks like you can't proceed until you hit the switch." Alphys began.

"I believe even a Temmie could discern that much." Alice showed a rare show of sarcasm towards the Royal Scientist.

"W-what…? Err, o-on that note… if you try pushing the switch, the lasers w-will activate when you do. Looks like they'll come in this order. Orange. Orange. Blue. G-got it? Move until the third one." Alphys said, maybe not fully knowing what a Temmie was or otherwise wanting to stay focused.

"Are you absolutely certain? Mettaton is clearly here or someone has tampered with the Core's design from how you last remembered it Alphys. The monsters in the Resort says the layout was shuffled today after all." Alice mentioned.

"... T-that is true… I-I'm sorry Alice I… I guess I just thought this would be easier t-than it's turning out to be… be careful when you push it." Alphys showed some vulnerability as she gave Alice the most profound warning she had heard in awhile.

"I will."

Feeling a bit more at ease with Alphys's answer, Alice pushed the button. Surely enough, the blue laser of electricity dissipated but only for three thin lasers to swoop across the room. Alice's suspicions were correct as it was blue, blue, and orange. Stopping in time and then moving quickly through the orange one kept Alice unharmed. Huffing to herself at the unintentional thrill of the whole thing, she crossed the bridge as Alphys spoke up again,

"Oh my god… you were right… I-I'm so sorry… l-let's keep going down the right path then."

"It's alright… have you actually been to the Core before?" Alice inquired, hoping to ease some of the awkwardness.

"W-well it's how I visited Asgore f-for meetings and stuff… I've also studied things here and there… n-nothing that could help us break the barrier y-yet..."

"I'm glad to know you are still thinking of that cause and… a crossroads?" Alice stopped in her tracks once she noticed the path split to the left and forward.

"Uhhhh… T-try heading to the right!" Alphys suggested.

"But when you suggested the right last time in a crossroads situation it turned out to be a dead end. I believe it would be prudent to try the left path first." Alice remarked, holding a finger up.

"G-good idea…"

Although the little girl soon found that once she went down the left path that her guess was wrong. While there was no pit this time, there was a small and closed off blue room and a very intimidating looking monster ready to confront her. Knight Knight blocks the way! It did look very much like a knight with a helmet with spread out and slightly curled horns on it, steel boots like the Royal Guard, and a very powerful looking mace, but it also seemed to have a very bizarre design on its bodice which suggested a face. It looked like that of an owl or some kind of serpent, with flowing feathers on the side of it. Even more creepy was it's 'mouth' opened to reveal a staring eye. Upon examination, Alice found that it was a megaton mercenary that wielded the Good Morningstar. Alice flinched as it spoke in a somewhat noble sounding but deep female voice,

"Adieu."

In a surprisingly dazzling attack, what looked like a miniature moon appeared overheard and then a shower of falling stars rained down from the sky. The attack was quite gorgeous but the stars were plentiful and Alice found a much harder time evading this attack, with one of the stars pelting her back. It was a sharp pain of light and fire mixed into one.

"Ngh…" She winced and examined her options as Knight Knight watched quietly.

Seizing an opportunity to perhaps make it less prone to attacking her, Alice decided to sing a little lullaby.

" _A very merry unbirthday to you, to you. A very merry unbirthday for me, for me._ " She twirled her fingers to emphasize the lullaby.

Fortunately Knight Knight started to look sleepy but merely wished Alice another 'Adieu' before using the same attack. Being able to better calculate and predict this attack, Alice was able to dodge all the stars this time around. Knight Knight smashed its morningstar in a groggy fashion. Alice then continued to sing her lullaby, repeating the same lyrics of the jovial tune that the Mad Hatter and March Hare sang during the tea party but in a soft, lullaby-appropriate tone. Knight Knight's eyes started to lower and it looked very much tired.

"Good knight." It yawned.

With one last shower of shooting stars, Alice finished singing her lullaby,

"Twinkle twinkle little bat, how I wonder where you're at, up above a world so high, like a teatray in the sky."

With this, Knight Knight was pacified and asleep and Alice snuck out of the room quickly. She sighed a breath of relief before apologizing to Alphys.

"I suppose your idea would've been the best option to have taken. Granted that wasn't a terrible battle but perhaps unnecessary." Alice confessed.

"It's ok Alice… I was thinking of going left m-myself… it happens to all of us. L-let's keep going…" Alphys accepted Alice's apology, albeit anxiously.

Turning back on her heels, Alice returned to the crossroads and continued down the right path. She soon stumbled upon what looked like another series of lasers along a bridge. This one was far more complex than any series of lasers Alice had seen between Hotland and now. There were moving blue ones, red ones, and a giant row of blue lasers further down. _It'd be near impossible to get through all those unharmed,_ Alice thought. It was at this point Alice concluded Alphys's assistance would be greatly appreciated.

"M… more lasers… Okay, I… I won't mess around this time. I'll just deactivate the lasers and let you through." Alphys announced to Alice's surprise.

"That's certainly useful to know. Although why not just depower the Core temporarily until I get through?" The little girl asked calmly.

"T-that'd be a bad idea… since it is a big p-power source… hold on… they're not turning off…"

"The lasers?" Alice turned to look at the lasers and they were still on and in place.

"Y-yeah… it might be that… I-i-it's okay! I have this under control! I can turn off the power for that whole node. Then you can walk across." Alphys's tone seemed to slightly contradict her words.

"If anyone has control it'd be whoever has been manipulating the Core's layout…" Alice gave herself some good advice.

Just then, the lasers and the lighting of the room shut off instantly. The bridge was bear and exposed and despite the darkness, Alice could still make out a path to cross. Something going her way for once was a valuable confidence boost towards how this whole adventure was going. As she smiled, she carried on her way along the bridge. The bridge was a bit intimidating, reminding Alice of the ones in Waterfall, and she hoped it wouldn't break on her again. As Alice took several steps past the halfway point though, she heard a small flickering sound. Then Alphys's panicked shriek,

"W-WAIT! STOP!"

Alice flinched and instinctively forced her body to stand perfectly still as the lasers all turned on spontaneously. Each of them blue and each of them poised to burn her should she move. Alice felt a genuine sense of fear overcome her and she spoke as loudly as she could to the phone that she holding out.

"A-Alphys…! Is Mettaton doing this…?"

"T-that may well be the case… the power i-is turning itself back on. D-damn it… this wasn't supposed to… i-"

"Alphys, commentary and rude language is not what we need right now! Please can you shut it off again, even just brief periods of inactivity would be better than leaving it on." Alice interrupted what was clearly going to be another pity party.

"...! Y-you're right… ok, w-when I turn it off… move a little, and then STOP. OK? Y-you won't get h-h-hurt." Alphys reassured Alice.

Alice waited patiently for the lights to turn off, which happened in a matter of moments. With the path cleared again, she made a mad scramble for the end of the bridge. Regrettably, the lights started to flicker again, forcing Alice to stop again and freeze like a statue as the lasers turned back on. After two more rounds of the lights turning off and then on, Alice made enough progress to reach the other side safely. She was getting a bit tired and weary from the mixture of forced exercise and the pressure of the puzzle. Alphys spoke again,

"S-see? I got everything under control."

"... Are you insane?! If anyone has control of this situation it's Mettaton. Why are you contradicting yourself?" Alice lost her patience and put a hand to her hip.

"B-but I just helped to save-"

"Yes, I'm aware you wish to prove your worth Alphys by saving me, but I believe you've done more than enough! I would respect you more if you weren't pretending to not know how the CORE works when it's clear the residents of MTT do know."

Alice didn't care if Alphys had simply made a poor choice of words now, Alphys was starting to behave in an infuriating manner. The Royal Scientist was now trying to make herself seem even more amazing in the eyes of the little girl when in all honesty it was fake. Not to mention that while she was stupefied by the Core's redesign, it was clear that even the other monsters were aware of the changing layout and yet she had neglected to acknowledge that detail. Whatever Alphys was attempting to do now was only being bothersome to Alice and it further made her lose her respect for the doctor. _If I were in her shoes I'd be looking for that alternative way to break the barrier instead of playing around with lasers,_ Alice thought. Alphys remained quiet on the line before giving a last statement, sounding noticeably dejected,

"I have to go… I'm sorry…"

With the phone hung up, Alice finally had an arm free and a reprieve from another tirade of phone calls. Putting the phone back into her apron pockets, she found herself at another complex crossroads. This time the path broke off into three sections: straight, left, and right. The air was filled with the smell of ozone… and it filled Alice with DETERMINATION. In all honesty, the little girl was feeling more frustrated than determined but her goals were still set. She noticed there was a sign on the left and read it carefully. 'North, the warrior's path. West, the sage's path. Any path leads to The End.'

"Interesting choice to name the destination after the concluding words to a story." Alice said.

Furthermore, the names of the paths were of typical characters found in fantastical literature. It was strange though considering how mechanical and materialized the area seemed to be. The only logical answer for why they had these names was due to being named by the king himself. Either way, Alice wasn't going to proceed just by reading signs and she was resolved to trying the left path first. To her surprise, she found herself in a rather warm room on a bridge with a strange glowing green and white haze on the bottom. Or was it some sort of energy? Furthermore, a conveyer belt was activated and appeared to be dropping ice cubes into the strange energy. The ice cubes melted as soon as they connected with the strange substance with a distinct hissing sound, Alice couldn't help but feel this was familiar...

' _Excuse me sir! Can you please tell me why you are throwing those ice blocks?!'_

"I see… so those ice cubes he throws end up here eventually. Could it be to cool this energy down perhaps? Alphys did say it used geothermal energy… they don't want it to become too hot and melt everything." Alice reasoned, feeling proud of herself for remembering that chance encounter with the wolf.

A bit relaxed from solving a riddle, Alice proceeded along the path until she noticed another sign that led to a left one. 'Solve this puzzle and The End will open.' _I wonder if it'll be like the ones I did to turn off those lasers back in Hotland,_ Alice thought as she moved along this new route. To Alice's delight, she was absolutely right for she saw another grid with ammo, controls, squares, and the like. She was going to have to hit the ship once more. As she proved to be very good with these puzzles, Alice was able to solve it quite quickly. Taking a small breath of relief, she then returned to going down the ambiguous left wing. This time a right route was opened up as the path kept going straight. Making sure she covered all loose ends, the little girl went straight ahead but only found a Glamburger in a trash can. The sign above it said 'Why not relax and have a little snack?'

"... This is a really rudimentary scavenger hunt." She complained to herself.

Turning on her heel, she decided to take the right route that she had discovered. The sign she saw declared 'Traverse the northern room, and The End will open.' _At least these signs seem to be more beneficial to me,_ Alice thought as she wiped some sweat off her forehead. Relieved it wasn't nearly as maze-like as the Queen of Hearts hedges, she went down the directed path to find another bridge. As she crossed it though, two monsters seemed to sprout up from the darkness and onto the bridge. She uttered a small scream and cowered back as Whimsalot and Final Froggit appeared. To Alice's surprise, they looked very similar to the Whimsun and Froggits she had seen in the Ruins. Except this time Whimsalot was wearing armor and wielding a small, double-edge lance and Final Froggit was wearing wearing a crown, had a sharp face, and seemed to have a glittery expression. Both monsters evoked a sense of power and danger though so Alice began to analyze them individually. Whimsalot had finally stopped worrying.

"Not this time." Whimsalot said in a composed tone.

"Robbit robbit." Final Froggit croaked in an alarmingly dark tone.

Alice soon found herself to be targeted by swarms of flies and butterflies,summoned by the two monsters. While numerous, they had a fairly telegraphed trajectory and Alice was able to evade these attacks safely. As Whimsalot shook its head dismissively, Alice decided to kneel and pray for safety from this particular trial. It seemed to help Whimsalot remember its conscience.

"Don't give up!" It said.

"Creak, creak." Final Froggit made an unusual sound like a door being moved.

"Frogs don't really make that sound…" Alice nervously commented.

After making such a statement, Alice saw that they were now surrounding her in a ring of hazardous butterflies while flies tried to nab her with quick bursts of movement. To Alice's regret, she was hit by one of them and oddly enough it didn't seem to hurt but Alice did feel disgusted and tired from it. Luckily, it appeared Whimsalot didn't want to fight anymore and Alice was able to spare it and it flew from the battlefield. All that left was Final Froggit who suddenly made a 'woof' sound like a dog this time _. I wonder if it knows the Dog Guard,_ Alice pondered after giving a small chuckle. Curiously, a rather large frog was summoned and started hopping around, trying to strike Alice. It's slow movements but surprising dexterity made for a difficult obstacle to avoid. After successfully dodging, Alice examined Final Froggit despite being intimidated by its strength. Its future looked brighter and brighter.

"Skip, jump." It said.

After dodging some more flies, Alice decided to try to mystify the Final Froggit with a riddle. She figured it'd break through its intimidation and open it up to pacifying.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" She offered with a raised finger.

Final Froggit appeared to recognize it had more to learn from this world and gave a thoughtful croak. After one more ribbiting attack, a pun that Sans would've appreciated, it seemed reluctant to fight Alice. This gave her the chance to spare it and keep going. But after just a small pace along the bridge, two more mercenaries hopped onto the bridge just like before. It was Madjick and Knight Knight again. Their diverse attacks were even more of a hindrance this time around, with Knight Knight summoning a sun that emitted balls of heat to strike Alice alongside Madjick's strange cross-shaped attacks. Luckily, she knew how to pacify both of them and the battle was over without taking any damage. _How many more ambushes are there on this bridge?_ Alice asked herself in exasperation. As it turned out, there was one more and it was a nightmare! Final Froggit, Whimsalot, and a third, new enemy appeared. It looked startlingly similar to Loox with a balloon-shaped body with one giant eye for a face, eyelashes, four horns, skinny legs, and gloved hands. When it's eye closed however, it suddenly developed a cocky grin with the eyelashes becoming it's eyes and an unusual marking. It was called Astigmatism.

"Three at once! That hardly seems fair…" Alice complained as she started to pacify Final Froggit.

"...Don't pick on me." Astigmatism sounded much like some sort of rogue with its voice.

It appeared it's attacks involved large, circular disks that were hurled at Alice along with the flies and butterflies. Alice cringed as she found herself pinned and hit by these disks. They felt like pieces of wood that had smashed into her. Fortunately she was able to pacify Final Froggit, reducing the number of attacks to 2. Astigmatism stayed silent as Whimsalot merely said 'not this time' again. More disks and butterflies were sent Alice's way, leading up to her praying towards Whimsalot. Once again Astigmatism stayed strangely silent as Whimsalot reassured Alice. This time, she was surrounded by a circlet of butterflies and the disks summoned by Astigmatism attempted to wallop her. All these attacks accumulatively improved Alice's evasiveness and so she managed to dodge them again and spared Whimsalot.

"Take your last look." Astigmatism threatened Alice.

"I'm afraid I have more things to look at you see." She replied calmly.

A barrage of disks flew about and even seemed to bounce off certain spaces to hit. Though tricky to navigate, Alice was able to dodge these disks efficiently. After examining it, Alice found that it was a relentless bully who ALWAYS gets its way. Perhaps it was being quiet at times as an attempt to pressure and unnerve Alice. This time it sent wide rows of disks at her and prompted Alice to duck carefully. Following a failure to hit her, it clicked its teeth as Alice began to explore her options to deal with the monster. She did so by not picking on it.

"Finally someone gets it." Astigmatism sounded very happy at Alice's choice.

After another round of dodging bouncing disks, Alice was able to spare the creature, for it didn't care about fighting anymore. At the end of the bridge was a dead end but also a red switch. Alice wasn't sure what it was a switch for but she pressed it anyway. The switch became green which probably meant something was triggered elsewhere. This left Alice to retrace her steps and go down the bottom path. Before doing so, she read a sign that said 'Get lost… And stay that way.' It was a rather rude sign in Alice's opinion though she wondered who put it up there to begin with. Luckily for the little girl, the bottom path led back to the three-pathed crossroads and presumably meant the right path would lead her to where she needed to go. The sign for this path said 'East… The End.'

"At last I'm getting somewhere… I do hope those puzzles were worth something." Alice huffed to herself, finding the many signs redundant.

The right path eventually led upward and that was when Alice saw another small crossroads that broke off into two paths and two more signs for the left and right respectively. 'To the East! This is The End.' and 'I cannot fight. I cannot think. But, with patience, I will make my way through.' Based on the proximity of the left path towards the 'get lost' sign and the fact that this crossroads was similar to the one that led to the Glamburger at the top path, Alice deduced going right was the best option. Coming across another bridge over a steamy and strange flooring, Alice dashed to the other end, desperate to find where she needed to go. That is when her prayers were answered. A flashy door with the same noble design hanging above it like the door to the laser room, as well as an elevator. It was clearly the elevator that was intended to have worked by Alphys earlier but didn't. Behind this door must be the elevator to the King's castle. It filled her with determination as she realized this only meant one thing. Mettaton was going to be in that room. Alice clenched her fist. She had a lot to say to the formerly spectral robot and she wasn't going to let him take her soul. If her soul was ever to be taken, it would not be by Mettaton's hands.

"METTATON! I request you to show yourself no…" Alice's heated demand stopped once she saw that in the middle of the room, Mettaton was already waiting for her.

"OH YES. THERE YOU ARE, DARLING. IT'S TIME TO HAVE OUR LITTLE SHOWDOWN. IT'S TIME TO FINALLY STOP THE "MALFUNCTIONING" ROBOT." Mettaton spoke coyly to her.

"Moreso stop the 'malfunctioning' ghost." Alice taunted with her arms folded.

Mettaton seemed to twitch just the little bit and his breath seemed to heave. Alice had struck a nerve with him it seemed. Regardless, Mettaton kept speaking,

"MALFUNCTION? REPROGRAMMING? GHOST? HAH! GET REAL. THIS WAS ALL JUST A BIG SHOW. AN ACT. ALPHYS HAS BEEN PLAYING YOU FOR A FOOL THE WHOLE TIME."

"That was already crystal clear Mettaton." Alice looked down.

It stung a bit to admit it out loud, but also gave Alice some relief. Like she wasn't wrong in calling out Alphys for her obvious manipulating and alliance with Mettaton. Mettaton looked a bit more frazzled.

"YOU… KNEW? HUMPH. I SUPPOSE MY CREATOR WAS NEVER SUBTLE WITH HER PLANS, MUCH LIKE WITH HER TASTE FOR ANIME. SHE DESPERATELY WANTED TO BE A PART OF YOUR ADVENTURE. SHE REACTIVATED PUZZLES. SHE DISABLED ELEVATORS. SHE ENLISTED ME TO TORMENT-"

"Oh be quiet! I don't need a narrator to understand what she has done. She's wasted her time and status as the Royal Scientist to give herself a self-confidence boost. Whereas I should be understanding of the nervousness, she's been completely ignorant of the requests of the Underground. Let alone trying to fabricate human history for some strange purpose! And what of you? You-"

"DO NOT GO THERE WITH ME." Mettaton suddenly seemed hostile.

"No. I'll go to where I need to. You threw away Napstablook's support as a family member just so you could become this glorified star that you apparently are. You've abused me and made a mockery of me, working with your creator to play around with this charade instead of doing anything productive towards breaking the barrier. You abuse your workers, your tastes are gaudy, and you also wish to kill an innocent human! I mean, what would your fans think about you being a murderer?" Alice pointed at Mettaton with a challenging expression.

"...! N-NO… I'D BE THE SAVIOR… BLOOKY… BLOOKY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS! AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ABUSE? YOU'RE ABUSING THE UNDERGROUND BY NOT HELPING WITH THE CAUSE! THE PAIN OF NOT HAVING A PLACE TO BELONG… THE PAIN OF NOT FEELING COMPLETE… THE PAIN OF NOT ACHIEVING YOUR DREAM… I SHARE THAT WITH ALL THE MONSTERS THAT LOOK UP TO ME ON THE SCREEN." Mettaton seemed to briefly lose it.

Alice stayed silent. In truth, she felt her abuse had been very severe, not just from him but from Sans, Undyne, Flowey, Chara, her nightmares, and several monsters she had to face. She felt she had changed several times since this morning and wasn't even sure if she could go back to that morning, let alone before ending up down here. These monsters had a much longer, slower, more visible abuse though, imprisonment. Ever since that day they were trapped Underground, they could not move forward into the future with the same DETERMINATION Alice displayed so far. Mettaton had done what needed to be done to even attain the little but promising future left for him. Maybe this was what Napstablook meant by forgiving him, by understanding Mettaton's pain and relating to why he had done what had been done to her so far. _I know the reasoning is believable and sincere to forgive him,_ Alice pondered, _but can I really accept what he and Alphys are and aren't doing?_ As Alice continued to think, Mettaton seemed to be doing breathing exercises. He then spoke again to her with his initial tone,

"I HAVE NO DESIRE TO HARM HUMANS. FAR FROM IT ACTUALLY. MY ONLY DESIRE IS TO ENTERTAIN. AFTER ALL, THE AUDIENCE DESERVES A GOOD SHOW, DON'T THEY?"

"... At what cost though?" Alice whispered this to herself.

In her heart, she was relieved to hear Mettaton didn't have any killing intent. Yet she didn't have the compassion to vocalize this and could only be stuck on how much he and Alphys had let her down.

"AND WHAT'S A GOOD SHOW… WITHOUT A PLOT TWIST?" Mettaton suddenly spun around and the sound of a door shutting followed.

"Huh?" This was enough to break Alice out of her internal struggle.

"H-hey! Wh-what's going on!? Th-th-the door just locked itself!" Even more surprising, Alphys's voice could be heard as well as banging.

"What is she doing-"

"SORRY, FOLKS! THE OLD PROGRAM'S BEEN CANCELLED! BUT WE'VE GOT A FINALE THAT WILL DRIVE YOU WILD!" Mettaton's arms appeared as he raised one arm and held onto his microphone.

Alice had too many things to react to so she focused on the sight of five bold red spotlights appearing on the floor and then the sight of the floor raising itself into the air. It then proceeded to surge upward at an alarming speed and forced Alice to crouch to the ground and hold on tight.

"This againnnnnnnnnn?!" She cried.

"REAL DRAMA! REAL ACTION! REAL BLOODSHED! ON OUR NEW SHOW… "ATTACK OF THE KILLER ROBOT!" Mettaton roared with life and passion.

"... That's it. No forgiveness." Alice glared at him as she got to her feet and felt ready for this encounter.

"YES, I WAS THE ONE THAT RE-ARRANGED THE CORE! I WAS THE ONE THAT HIRED EVERYONE TO KILL YOU! THAT, HOWEVER, WAS A SHORT-SIGHTED PLAN. YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE A HUNDRED TIMES BETTER? KILLING YOU MYSELF!" Mettaton boasted.

"Well you'll find that this plan won't be a hundred times more effective as the other one." Alice responded back.

Alice was a bit nervous though. She recalled the rather offensive 'Z' attack scenario with Mettaton and how she felt very foolish when it was clear her phone projectiles weren't as effective as Mettaton was claiming. She had no real options to harm his invulnerable form. _If anything I need to keep being evasive until some sort of opportunity opens up,_ Alice considered. Not even a burn would work. Rather, that would probably be what Alice would do if things continued in this manner.

"LISTEN, DARLING. I'VE SEEN YOU FIGHT. YOU'RE WEAK. IF YOU CONTINUE FORWARD, ASGORE WILL TAKE YOUR SOUL. AND WITH YOUR SOUL. ASGORE WILL DESTROY HUMANITY." Mettaton mentioned.

"He will do no such thing!" Alice declared bravely.

As brave as she sounded, she looked nervous at the sight of cube shaped projectiles homing in on her. Desperate, she pulled out her phone from the apron pocket and attempted to use the 'Z' function to destroy them. This did seem to work in her favor and she cleared a path.

"YES, WE ARE ON THE SAME PAGE! IF I GET YOUR SOUL, I CAN STOP ASGORE'S PLAN! I CAN SAVE HUMANITY FROM DESTRUCTION!"

"Wait… you want to spare humanity?" Alice was so surprised her her eyes had become the size of tea cups.

"HUMANITY WOULD LOVE TO WATCH ME AND BE IN AWE OF ME ONCE THEY SEE ME. THEY WILL RECOGNIZE MY STARDOM! MILLIONS OF THEM! I JUST NEED YOUR SOUL TO CROSS THE BARRIER." Mettaton reaffirmed his conviction.

It was at that moment Alice noticed some rather bizarre-looking projectiles heading her way. It was almost like a series of cubes lined in a row with one cube being a prominent yellow color. At the end of this bar was a boxing glove. Needless to say, Alice needed to get it out of her way. Firing more shots from her phone, she managed to hit the yellow square, pulling the bar back and opening space for Alice to navigate her way through this odd attack. After getting past these bars, she then noticed more cube-shaped objects from moments prior and a bomb. Shooting down the cubes allowed Alice to avoid taking any damage. Still without any openings, Alice could only continue speaking to Mettaton tensely.

"That's not the most sympathetic motivation for helping my people though… and I'm not in any mood to dying either." Alice remarked.

"WHAT IF A FEW PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE? IT'S NOT LIKE THE LAST SIX WERE KILLED BY MY HAND! TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE LAST SOUL NECESSARY FOR FREEDOM IS WHAT SHOW BUSINESS IS ABOUT BABY!" Mettaton seemed keen on shutting Alice's argument down.

At that moment though, the phone Alice was grasping like a gun was suddenly ringing. It was undoubtedly Alphys and right now Alice needed the Royal Scientist's counsel more than ever. She answered it in a jiffy.

"U… uh… I can't see what's going on in there, but… D-d-don't give up, okay? Th… there's o-one l-last way to beat Mettaton… It's… um… it's… This is a work in-progress so don't judge it too hard… But, you know how Mettaton always faces f-f-forward? That's because there is a switch on his backside. S-so if y-y-you c-c can turn him around… um… And, umm… press th-th th-the switch… He'll be…um… He'll be… Vulnerable. Well, g-g-gotta go!" Alphys fumbled over her words but her statement was invaluable.

"I hadn't even noticed he hid his back from me…" Alice murmured to herself, genuinely impressed that she missed such a detail.

Granted she wasn't going to thank Alphys yet until she was sure she was safe. In addition, she had more than a few words of her own to say to Alphys and she did intend to judge the Royal Scientist as hard as she needed to. Still, if this worked, Alice felt she could swing momentum in her favor. Quickly analyzing Mettaton, she found the best way to get the robust robot to turn around. Using her DETERMINATION, she summoned a golden looking glass from behind Mettaton. A looking glass had been a source of strong imagination for Alice alongside Wonderland, due to the idea of what was deep within the reflection.

"Mettaton! There's a mirror behind you!" Alice exclaimed.

"OH? A MIRROR? RIGHT, I HAVE TO LOOK PERFECT FOR OUR GRAND FINALE." Mettaton's response was unexpectedly animated and excited.

He turned around to face the looking glass and hopped up in happiness upon seeing it. That was when Alice noticed that there was a switch on his back, clarified with a down arrow and the title 'SWITCH' on it. As he began to pose and examine himself much like how Alice envisioned a queen would do, she quickly moved to press the switch.

"The only finale here is the end of our conflict!" She declared boldly much like how Papyrus would've done.

Mettaton paused in shock and the looking glass disappeared at Alice's command. His next words were full of disbelief and intrigue,

"DID YOU. JUST FLIP. THE SWITCH?"

He then turned around very quickly and put his hands to his head in great distress. The screen on his face made unusual sounds and blinked rapidly and he shook at increasing speeds. It escalated to the point where Alice suddenly had to avert her eyes as the sound ceased. But then there was a new sound, a sound that was unlike anything Alice had heard yet in the Underground.

"OHHHHHH YESSSSSSS~"

"... Huh?" Alice gave a very confused expression.

First the voice itself sounded… very… flirtatious if she had to be honest. It was deep and resonant but with a taste of sophisticated tone to it and it almost sounded like whoever said it was deeply enjoying themselves. Secondly, the area had now suddenly turned dark and Alice couldn't see Mettaton anymore. She did see two spotlights slowly roll down from the ceiling and turn on onto what appeared to be a smokescreen. It was a very deep smokescreen but within seconds, a silhouette could be seen within. It was not Mettaton… or was it? It had a very tall appearance with long legs, arms, shoulders that stuck out like horns and a side-swept hairstyle. It wasn't boxy or anything of the sort and made Alice wonder what it was and what had just transpired.

"W-was that… h-hold on a moment. Who's there?" Alice was about to inquire if it was Mettaton but changed her mind to ask a more general question.

"Ohhhh my. If you flipped my switch, that can only mean one thing. You're desperate for the premiere of my new body." The voice continued and revealed its identity with a subtle smugness.

"METTATON? H-how did you change…? Was that the true purpose of the switch?" Alice suddenly looked frazzled and flustered at this new information.

 _Alphys betrayed me!_ Alice roared in her head. _She set me up so that Mettaton's true form would be revealed! That snake!_ It did seem that way to the little girl and although she was jumping to conclusions, what else could give Mettaton the confidence to say it was the 'premiere of his new body'. Even the wording of that phrase implied Alphys built this form for him to deal with Alice. Or was it for another purpose? Because of the nature of this encounter, Alice felt she had no opportunity to ask this and could only assume the worst. Either way, Mettaton gave her a response,

"The switch is merely there for whether I want to shed my invulnerability and show off my technicality, sensuality, and high quality. In this form, I'm the TRUE star of the show. Lucky for you, I've been aching to show this off for a long time. And as it's our grand finale, why don't I introduce ourselves?"

 _He's noticeably quieter and more human-sounding like this as well,_ Alice considered though she was starting to sweat in nervousness. As if on cue, one of the spotlights shown on Alice as the silhouette raised one arm to the sky through the smoke.

"Let's welcome our human star! The one who will help me be free of the Barrier and reach new heights! The Wonder from Wonderland, the Princess of Heart, the Disney Damsel… ALICEEEEE!" He announced with great passion.

"... I still am not exactly certain as to what this 'Disney' is and I am most certainly not a princess… Oh wait, you were referring to how my SOUL is basically my heart." Alice couldn't hide a small blush.

"And now for the main attraction… moi." A snap of the fingers followed Mettaton's latest words.

At that moment the spotlights cleared and the smokescreen as well. With no more effects to distract Alice's sight, Mettaton's new form was revealed to Alice in great detail. She quickly found it was almost too much detail. He was noticeably more humanoid with, black hair in a long fringe that covered his right eye, pale "skin" and visible metal segments below and above his left eye. He had a pink chest piece, a narrow metallic waist with a box contraption, and black shoulder guards above his segmented arms, which ended in gloves. The chest piece seemed to contain a speaker and some sort of knob or gauge, while the waist had two parts that seemed to act as a locking mechanism to contain a heart-shaped core. The most noticeable feature to Alice was long black-clad legs and pink high-heeled boots. The whole thing was… making Alice uncomfortable.

"What kind of fashion sense is that? You look… really… different from what I've seen." Alice looked away as her blush seemed to brighten.

"Envious? Well I'll give you more to envy darling." Mettaton just stood coyly and confidently.

Before Alice could ask what he meant, the sound of music began to fill the room. It was fast-paced and somewhat catchy but definitely sounded like an instrument Alice was not familiar with. If this could mean anything to Alice, it would mean some sort of performance was about to begin. Yet it was clear it wasn't going to be anything like that flowery performance Mettaton had performed in a dress. It sounded much more rhythmic and even calculated, like this was the kind of music Mettaton chose personally because he liked it. Something told Alice that she was about to be expected to join in on whatever show Mettaton had in mind now. But between his new form and Alphys's behavior she felt very unprepared. That's when Mettaton began to sing.

' _Death by Glamour, you are enamored'_ (Mettaton cocked his hip to the left, putting one of his hands on his bottom and winked at Alice. This made Alice jump a little.)

' _Aren't I stunning? Ah, I'm not shunning.'_ (Mettaton then seemed to slither his body forward like a snake before suddenly standing with his legs far apart and wagging his finger at the 'I'm not shunning' part)

' _Heel turn, and pose. The audience nods.'_ (Mettaton then jumped up on his heels, landed in a complex pirouette, and striked a very flamboyant pose at Alice.)

' _Ratings climb up, now you're getting it.'_ (Mettaton thrusted an arm over to the right, leading Alice's eyes to what was a distinct chart being displayed on the 'wall'. Starting at 4000 ratings and quickly declining, it appeared to be a line graph marked with a gold and blue line respectively and a quickly steeping and rising pink line zig zagging across it. It made Alice realize all of this was being filmed and presented to anyone watching T.V in the Underground. It seemed to make this situation even more daunting for her.)

' _Break a leg, dear. Make sure they're not mine.'_ (Mettaton did a graceful spin on one leg though not quite a pirouette this time before getting onto his hands and knees in one swift movement.)

' _I am shining, I am the star here.'_ (Mettaton then crawled over towards Alice in a very seductive fashion. The little girl could only wonder if the stage had grown big enough for her to run or dodge any of what presumably awaited her.)

' _I will make your last living moments'_ (Alice took several steps back as Mettaton drew closer, completely out of her element. Mettaton rose to his feet and looked to Alice as though she were an enticing meal. The same kind of expression Undyne gave to Alice during the hunt. It meant he was ready to claim her soul.)

 _'_ _Absolutely be-a-u-tiful.'_ (Mettaton moved his arms in rotation with an almost mystic shape being created before he suddenly lunged at Alice.)

To Be Continued...


	28. Revelation by Glamour

Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 27 Revelation by Glamour

Alice found herself narrowly dodging the aggressive lunge with a few quick steps backward. Mettaton quickly showed exceptional control over his body as he retaliated with a kick as he spun on an axis. Each movement was wild yet had a composure and an elegance to it that rivaled court dances and the great ballet performers of Alice's time. If anything, it held valuable insight to how modern dance was nowadays. Alice herself was not a trained dancer but dancing was a rather enjoyable activity to do and her sister would sometimes dance with her when they were younger. For something as innocent as twirling around in the bedroom to have been now relatable to dodging various kicks and punches was rather daunting to Alice. Mettaton seemed very happy with this arrangement and was showing his true nature to her as opposed to someone who had been sneaky and hiding things like Alphys. Mettaton Ex was making his premiere.

"My, my, my, to have such a reaction means you are no stranger to the dance floor my dear. This style of dance is more than a match for your Victorian era." Mettaton remarked as he started to strike a series of unusual if flattering poses.

"I-Isn't your idea of dancing a bit obscene? Or perhaps it's your appearance and… oh dear…" Alice responded a bit flustered at the subtle insult and just the boggling nature of his movements.

"I can't be clocked for being fabulous! Now brace yourself! Lights! Camera! Action!" Mettaton kicked his leg much like a cancan dancer towards Alice.

As the little girl weaved her way through the onslaught of what could only be described as a combination of dance and martial arts, she noticed that the Ratings chart seemed to be in decline. It was currently around 3,966 and still dropping. _I wonder if that could be something to use in this battle,_ Alice considered. Her options at the moment were limited due to the fact that there seemed to be fairly limited space on this stage and that Mettaton was being very aggressive. Soon enough, her fears were confirmed when Mettaton took advantage of a sluggish recovery of Alice's movements. He leapt into the air, doing a extremely elegant and difficult twirl, his leg outstretched and kicking Alice in the side of the head.

"Ahhh…!" Alice cried as she skidded roughly across the stage.

Looking up, she noticed very briefly that the ratings had increased, with a green message announcing " **Justice +100**." _According to that, certain actions will likely increase these ratings,_ Alice thought. However, before she could get up, she noticed Mettaton grabbing onto both of her legs and seemingly shaking them while facing the 'audience'.

"Do you mind?!" Alice pouted and folded her arms.

"Sorry but the opportunity to entertain my fans couldn't be passed!" Mettaton winked at her playfully.

" **Movie Reference +1000** " was what read on the ratings chart now, with the overall ratings now in the 4000s. Alice was perplexed at what that even referred to though it seemed that it may have had something to do with what Alphys mentioned at the lab about her resemblance to some film made by Disney or whatever. _Definitely out of my element,_ Alice thought nervously as Mettaton did let her legs go and seemed to be pirouetting away. Looking at Mettaton's pizazz was giving Alice some ideas on what to do. Despite being less experienced in dancing, surely she herself could do the same and maybe if she did so that'd help pacify the situation. The trickiest thing about this was that there was no clear sign of victory or way to appeal to Mettaton though for this was an entirely new form and she was trapped.

"A-alright… might as well give it a go." Alice said to herself, getting up and patting her apron to look as neat as she could in this situation.

She started with a simple swaying of the arms before going into a spin, trying to match the timing of the unusual beat of the music. " **Effort +100** " was her award. Mettaton also seemed a bit perplexed, analyzing her and the ratings while tapping his heeled boots to the music.

"As you've been known to say, curiouser and curiouser." Mettaton licked his lips.

"Thank you…? To be honest I feel a bit absurd, dancing for my life like this." Alice sighed as she slowly attempted a shuffle.

"Oooh, it's time for a pop quiz! I hope you brought a keyboard…! This one's an essay question!" Mettaton suddenly raised his arms as another series of words appeared in front of Alice.

'ESSAY PROMPT: Why do you love most about Mettaton? (No X or Z)' as well as a blinking '[START TYPING]'. Alice did a double take. Not only was the grammar of the essay prompt itself preposterous but it was asking her to start typing as though she had a typewriter in her apron pocket.

"Is writing an essay really something you should be showcasing for entertainment?" Alice asked as she stopped dancing.

" **Nagging -500** " appeared on the ratings chart, reducing the ratings to 4402. _That really wasn't nagging if I had to be honest, it was a question for goodness sake,_ Alice defended herself in her head. Mettaton wasn't so amused.

"So much for saving this for future use, and to think I called you the Princess of Heart! Speaking of heart, why don't I show you mine?" Mettaton seemed to cackle slightly before something astounding happened.

A mechanical heart seemed to appear from Mettaton and it shot out a flurry of electrical bolts and flying missiles that looked a lot like Mettaton's original form. Alice could barely react in time as " **Good jokes +100** " appeared on the ratings board. Each projectile was quite fast and Alice found herself doing much more complex movements to dodge the strikes. They involved several graceful turns, isolations, arm movements, and quick ducks and dodges. Miraculously, she found herself able to dodge each attack and that gave her some more confidence with her physical potential.

"I think that proves which of our hearts is stronger." Alice stated calmly.

" **Dramatic +100** " seemed to be what rewarded her efforts. Mettaton even seemed pleasantly surprised, letting out a melodramatic if satisfied 'Ohhh'. Although capable of keeping up with Mettaton, she was anxious about the solution to this whole encounter. What could possibly spare Mettaton at this point or what was the proper way to uphold Toriel's teachings in this scenario? Attacking Mettaton, even if he antagonized her and had hurt Napstablook's feelings, was something she had promised Napstablook not to do. Or specifically she had promised him to forgive Mettaton. Forgiving seemed to be the same as sparing based on how Alice's adventures Underground were coming along. _But what will do the trick exactly?_ Unfortunately, the time she spent thinking allowed Mettaton to get up close to her and by the time she noticed a flash of black, it was too late.

"You should be paying much closer attention darling! Eyes on me!" Mettaton seemed to be demanding Alice to focus on him.

In truth, the two kicks he delivered to Alice's face from a well-executed backflip ensured she would not get distracted again. Alice found herself flung back and landing roughly on the stage in pain. One of the pointy ends of the heels had cut her forehead and she found she was bleeding much to her horror. It was a wound that no girl her age should have had to endure and it reflected the subtle but intense killing intent Mettaton had at the moment. Pacifism would not sway him from doing anything else.

"Oww… oh this is hopeless…" Alice fought back the tears as she held her wound.

There was no silver lining in sight. She was to continue dancing to her death at Mettaton's hands at this rate. Without a clear objective, without anything to ponder over, and being out of her comfort zone in terms of movement and taste level, she was at a loss. How would-

 **PAPYRUS.**

"Papyrus…? OH! He'd know for certain!" Alice exclaimed as a thought seemed to scream out to her in her head.

Papyrus was the one who told her all about Mettaton in the first place. In fact she had promised to help him get in touch with his 'sexy rectangle'. Surely he would understand how Mettaton's shows worked and would be able to give Alice an idea of what to do. Or at least, it'd make better progress than simply dodging aimlessly. Alice saw that Mettaton's foot was prepared to stomp and crush her face. She managed to roll out of the way just in time and forced herself up to her feet. She then dug around in her pockets, managing to claim the once loathed but now very appreciated phone. She then dialed his number and was extremely relieved to get an answer.

"ALICE! AH, WHAT REMARKABLE TIMING! ME AND SANS JUST SAW YOU PULLING OUT YOUR PHONE AND DIALING SOMEONE! I'M SO BLESSED IT WAS ME!" Papyrus's joy never got old.

"Yes, I was wondering… oh so I really am on some sort of entertainment program." Alice felt sheepish as she processed what Papyrus pointed out.

"ARE YOU OK?! YOU ARE BLEEDING AND IT MAKES ME WANT TO BLEED WATER OUT OF MY… WELL YOU GET THE IDEA." Papyrus clarified himself as a skeleton did lack actual eyes.

"I-I'll survive… but not for much longer. Papyrus, do you have any idea of what Mettaton would desire most during one of his shows?" Alice asked as Mettaton started to attack her.

"Phoning a friend? Darling, the game show's over!" He critiqued her for such a decision.

Papyrus, to Alice's relief, wasn't distracted by Mettaton's demands. It seemed even his admiration of the superstar robot wasn't enough to deter from helping Alice with her problem.

"WELL I HAPPEN TO KNOW METTATON HAS NEVER REACHED OVER 10,000 RATINGS ON HIS SHOW. SURELY REACHING AND OVERCOMING THAT FABLED PEAK WOULD MAKE METTATON'S DAY. SURELY HE'D EVEN SPARE YOU! WINK, WINK." Papyrus advised.

"Reach a certain level of ratings…? I can't say I understand what ratings are to begin with but there's a chart I see that lists how many we have. What actions normally raise the ratings?" Alice asked as she found herself rolling along the ground to avoid some more flying missiles.

"OFTEN IT INVOLVES RECIPES, PERFORMANCES, AND LOOKING VERY PHYSICALLY ATTRACTIVE. I THINK IF YOU JUST FOCUS ON MAKING THE AUDIENCE HAPPY YOU WILL EASILY HELP METTATON PRODUCE AN AMAZING SPECIAL! ALSO CATCHPHRASES HELP IMMENSELY! NYEHEHEHE!" Papyrus gave his last bit of advice before hanging up.

Alice climbed to her feet and quickly came to a conclusion. All those shows Mettaton had done, the quiz, the cooking, the news, the stage… those were all for the sake of making the Underground happy. That was his true desire, the reason he forfeited his ghostly origins for a body that'd truly make him a star. So if she was going to survive and spare this impenetrable superstar, she would need to act and harness her own star power. _Luckily,_ Alice recalled, _Wonderland has had it's own share of entertainment._ It wasn't just limited to tea parties either as Mettaton would soon discover. Alice harnessed her DETERMINATION, starting to gently glow gold and her wound from Mettaton's wound seemingly healing. Mettaton looked perplexed at her choice before laughing cockily.

"More of that DETERMINATION? Dear, that isn't going to up your chances or raise the stakes of this program." He put her down.

"Mettaton, in all fairness you told me that you didn't want what Asgore wanted. You wanted to save humanity from potential destruction and have them watch you. Even now your greatest wish is to be watched." Alice chose her words carefully to lower Mettaton's guard.

"...! Yes… and what of it? Your soul is all that's keeping me from that dream!" Mettaton aimed two kicks at Alice but she stepped back at the right time to avoid them.

"The truth is that we are both currently being watched. By the monsters of the Underground. What makes them less deserving of a lovely performance?"

"... Nothing at all! Alice are you proposing what I think you are proposing?" Mettaton seemed slightly interested at this new direction.

"Yes! I will give you my soul the same way your dancing is filled with such soul. A performance of the ages, in true Wonderland fashion!" Alice then made a graceful flourish with her arms as her DETERMINATION surged around the dance floor.

The true irony in the characters she was summoning with her DETERMINATION was not only that there were numerous of them but that they were organic and natural beings given human qualities whereas Mettaton was an inorganic robot built with human-esque capabilities. Furthermore, Alice had a bit of a conflict with these beings in Wonderland, after they snootily dismissed her from their domain and called her a weed. Regardless, they had serenaded Alice and at this point in time, she knew there were no better performers to call upon right at this dire moment. The red rose, the petunia, the daisy, tulips, morning glories, pansies, the white rose, the sunflowers, the calla lily, the lilac, daffodils, chrysanthemums, lily of the valley, sweetpeas, tiger lily, dandy lions, and many more beautiful and expressive flowers surrounded the stage. In truth, they all were of the same golden radiance of DETERMINATION but their faces and the shape of their petals, stems, blooms, and leaves all made their distinctions more apparent. The sight was simply exquisite in Mettaton's eyes and he made a dramatic gasp. " **Gorgeous Garden +500"** quickly heightened the ratings to around 5000.

"My word! Your DETERMINATION is stunnnnning! It's almost enough to steal the spotlight from me! I had almost forgotten about this part really. Well I'll let you try to convince me and the audience you got star quality while I take my union-regulated break." Mettaton shuffled to the side of the dance floor, leaving Alice to her fate.

Alice felt relieved at the realization she was able to convince Mettaton to spare her enough to do this sort of audition. The rather catchy beat that had played since Mettaton's first lyrics died down, leaving the sounds for Alice to create. It quickly was swamped by the daunting task of how to perform what she recalled from her imaginings. The flowers had sung each and every part of the chorus while Alice joined in rather miserably at the end. From her past experiences, none of her creations had spoken, only performed actions. Yet there was a strange bravado Alice had within her that was telling her to tackle this performance with heart and gusto. If anything, it felt very much like something Papyrus would've advised. _Perhaps this is the result of me changing so many times,_ Alice thought positively on this. Clearing her throat adequately and taking her place in the middle of the stage, she was about to vocalize the same way the flowers had done. But before she could even sound out the fabled 'la', it was spoken by the Lily of the Valley,

" _Laaaaaaaaaaaa"_

" _Mi mi mi mi mi mi mi mi mi"_ (Then the Pansies…)

" _La la la la la la la la"_ (The Daisy right on cue.)

" _AhahaHAhahahhhh~"_ (The Petunia as well.)

As the flowers continued to vocalize the rather beautiful opening to what was a song called 'Golden Afternoon', Alice was able to process the voices she was hearing. They sounded like they came from the same singer, startlingly similar to how Alice envisioned each flower's voice in Wonderland, yet deeper and even somewhat more as though the voice was trying to imitate their voices. Alice was amazed and slightly frightened at this revelation. Her DETERMINATION now had its own voice, something that Alice would've never fathomed. Was it a reflection of growth? A reflection of the closeness towards the final part of her journey? A sign of how strong her will to live was? Yet Alice had a strange understanding that this voice belonged to someone else and was not something merely created out of thin air. _But who?_ She thought anxiously. Abandoning these thoughts in favor of more focus, the voice was quite enchanting and it gave Alice more confidence to let the flowers take the lead as they sang the song.

' _Little bread-and-butterflies kiss the tulips'_

 __' _And the sun is like a toy balloon, ooooohhhh'_

 __' _There are get-up-in-the-morning glories in the golden afternoon, ohhhhhh'  
_  
'There are dizzy daffodils on the hillside'

' _Strings of violets are all in tune'_ (Alice swayed her arms to and fro, assuming the actions of a conductor as the flowers continued to synchronize.)

' _Tiger lilies love the dandelions'_

 __' _In the golden afternoon, the golden afternooooooooon'_

'There are dog and cat-erpillars and a copper centipede'

' 'Where the lazy daisies love the very peaceful life'

'They leeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaad…' (Mettaton appeared to be yawning to himself as he watched the performance. His expression seemed mixed, his eyes intent but his mouth in a frown.)

' _You can learn a lot of things from the flowers'_

' _For especially in the month of June, ahhhhh'_

'There's a wealth of happiness and romaaaance'

'Allllllll in the golden afternooooon'

"I need MORE!" Mettaton suddenly cut through the elegant aria with a stomp and a cry of his own.

Alice herself was perplexed, believing that she had been doing very well with this performance and appeasing the ratings. The ratings were at a good 7,320 in fact. Yet Mettaton seemed displeased at her and what was more unusual was that the original musical theme Mettaton had been playing returned. Yet it sounded quiet and like it was slowly building up momentum with the presence of new notes mixed in with the old ones and old ones reduced or taken away to create a magical and new experience. At the same time it also likely meant Alice would have to endure another precarious dance-off with Mettaton. He continued to critique Alice as the flowers gazed at him with blank expression,

"Darling, that may have worked for Wonderland but, to be blunt, your music style is fairly outdated. Classics are appreciated but the monsters and I march to the beat of a different sort of song. You are only conducting the music but how good are you on the dance floor?!"

"Well it's not like I'm as trained as you per say…" Alice twiddled her fingers in shame.

"Either way, the monsters nor the humans would appreciate a half and half. They want the full package! So here's the catch sweetie, I want you to perform for your LIFE! No standing there waving your arms, but actual movements." Mettaton demonstrated with a fluid spin as he approached Alice.

"Oh. I suppose t-that's a compromise. Will we use this music?" Alice inquired.

"That and PLENTY more. Seeing as this should be my last star-studded Underground performance, I'll treat you and the monsters watching to a special Underground Anthem, Mettaton and human style~." Mettaton struck a flashy pose and stuck out his tongue.

 _I hope it's not as flamboyant as his appearance,_ Alice thought hesitantly as she noticed the music build up to a rising crescendo. Suddenly, it occurred to her that it appeared Mettaton was potentially going to sing again. The frivolous 'oh my love' performance left a lot to be desired and tried Alice's patience but this was his true form in front of her. His true singing voice was probably as well-developed as his exciting dance moves. _In fact it may be in my best interest to focus entirely on the dancing and let him and the flowers sing,_ she concluded. Alice then stood up straight and curtsied, as though to welcome him to a ball.

"Very well, I'll partake in this as well." She said.

"Well then darling. The show… must go on!" Mettaton announced the beginning of this so-called 'anthem' with the summoning of a few missiles.

' _In youuuu and Iiiii, there's a new laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnd'_ (Mettaton's voice was resonant and powerful, with incredible soul and a subtle femininity that made his voice seem a mixture of a man's and a woman's. It was complimented by powerful arm motions and a genuinely powerful expression. Alas, Alice wasn't able to appreciate it as much as the missiles flew at her and forced her to take quick, cautious steps back, ultimately twirling her way out before they crashed onto the ground.)

' _My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah'_ (Mettaton glided along the dance floor, looking to the sky, emphasizing this sanctuary as the land lost to the monsters. There was something so somber yet hopeful about this performance and some of the original theme disappeared as new and softer sounds filled the air.)

' _Where fears and liesss, melt awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy'_ (Mettaton soon caught up to Alice and attempted a sweep kick that Alice jumped backward to dodge before he got up and demonstrated a graceful arabesque.)

' _What would I give if I could liiiive out of these waterssss?'_ (Mettaton then seemed to get onto one knee and prayed to the heavens, selling the emotion with his expression. Alice realized the waters must've referred to the Waterfall area though that in itself was a curious choice as Mettaton had never visited nor seemed fit to go to that area. _Could it be a reference to his creator's bond with Undyne perhaps?_ She thought.)

' _What would I pay to spend a dayyyy warm on the saaaaand?'_ (Mettaton then raised his arms to heavens before performing a well-executed backflip, kicking his legs up into an appealing shape and back on his feet again. He turned to face Alice.)

'Up where they walk, up where they run, up where they staaay all day in the suuuun' _(With elegant but determined movements, he attempted to strike Alice with an outstretched arm and a follow-up kick before he executed a grand jete into a pose. These attacks failed but it was starting to give Alice an impression of how Mettaton was living in the moment and that his dance was a full expression of himself.)_

' _Wanderin' free, wish I could be, part of that worrrrrlllrld'_ (Mettaton got back onto one knee for this part, using his arms to create beautiful gestures before holding one arm out and up in sync with the final high note to create an exquisite gesture.)

However, contrary to what Alice expected, Mettaton did not sing again but he did give Alice a severe expression. It was an expression of battle or perhaps subtly scolding her for still not dancing. The most noticeable change though was the way the soft music changed into something powerful, dynamic, and intimidating. An unusual instrument Alice had never heard before in her life made strong chords that seemed to indicate something terribly important was about to start. Mettaton, hands on his hips was strutting over to Alice with the same conviction and class of a fashion model. His swaying hips and elongated steps were perfectly in tune with the music until he stopped. He crouched forward, holding his arms in front of him before pulling back and ultimately summoning the mechanical heart again. It seemed he was about to go all out against the little girl and it demanded her to dance at long last. As if to confirm this, Mettaton began to sing again, no longer serene and pure but rather edgy and bold.

' _A river in a dry land, the last ace in a lost hand'_ (The missiles and electrical bolts flung themselves at Alice with almost heightened accuracy from before. Alice found herself pirouetting out of the way of some of the attacks. She then ducked several bolts before performing a jete of her own to avoid being blasted by another Mettaton-shaped missile.)

' _When the hope of new beginnings burned our feet, now we need it'_ (With the attacks settled, Alice knew it was time to dance and while this was never a style of music she danced to, she felt as if she could perform some movements to these particular sounds. She lifted her legs as fluidly as she could and spun around before lifting her arms much like Mettaton had.)

' _A heartbeat for a tin man, oasis in a singed land'_ (Mettaton's heart returned to his body and he seemed to caress his chest with his hands in a strangely elegant way before rabidly flicking his head to the left and the right. He then performed an incredible split onto the dance floor, left leg in front and right leg behind of him.)

' _Remind us what we're here for: creating new liiiiiiiiiiife'_ (Alice continued to make graceful arm movements and lifted her leg gracefully behind her in a small arabesque before lifting her skirts and kicking upward to match the power of the last note. It was then that what Mettaton was doing caught her attention.)

' _I won't give up, no I won't give in, Till I reach the end, And then I'll staaaaaaaaart aaaagaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaainnnnnnnnnnn.'_ (Mettaton was doing swift movements backwards with his arms held out and seeming to move in a wave-like motion. He then suddenly threw himself forward and landed on his knees, yet he slid across the floor still on his knees in a very epic display of control and precision. His notes hadn't even suffered once during the grand dance move.)

"Amazing!" Alice remarked excitedly.

' _Maybe a reason why, all the doors are closed, so you could open one that leads you to the perfect road.'_ (Noticeably, the music began to shift again, the mysterious and powerful instrument still present but the rest of the sounds became softer again and there even appeared to be the sound of snapping fingers mixed in the instrumental. Alice watched as Mettaton got onto his feet and approached the flowers of DETERMINATION, serenading them with rather positive-sounding lyrics. The flowers, normally a very snooty bunch, seemed rather impressed by Mettaton's poise and voice.)

' _Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow, and when it's time you know'_ (Mettaton then turned around to look at Alice before he ran forward and suddenly lifted himself into the air with a spectacular leap, one leg kicked up after the other before stopping right in front of Alice. Alice realized that this part of the song seemed directed towards Alice, as though saying that all other options were closed off to her so she could do the one option that'd lead to the best solution for the Underground. Unfortunately Alice felt he was referring to her giving up her soul to him and thus suddenly felt a little disappointed.)

' _We're all just looking for connection, yeah, we all want to be seen, I'm looking for someone who speaks my language, someone to ride this ride with me.'_ (Mettaton tapped Alice on the shoulder, firmly but not enough to hurt and seemed to wink at her, inviting her to join in on his next movement. He was moving one of his legs in an unusual isolation, seeming to rotate it while it was bent. He then did the same with the other leg before shuffling backward, his arms held up like a boxer. Alice thought the movement was simple enough and she knew that despite whatever message Mettaton's lyrics held, it was best to focus on getting the ratings he and she desired. So she quickly mimicked his movement, finding joy in how they appeared to be reflecting each other. The mysterious instrument even disappeared from the instrumental, leaving the snapping fingers, subtle traces of Mettaton's original theme, and a very melodic sound with traces of piano.)

' _Can I get a witness?'_ (Mettaton then stopped his dancing to strike yet another pose. The pose in question had one hand placed on his head while the other hand was outstretched in front of him, the fingers delicately curved and his legs and torso held in a very flattering shape. It was clear there was going to be a bit of a pose-off now. What Alice also found intriguing was that the flowers appeared to be repeating the 'witness' part in the song at certain times, finally singing again after 'Golden Afternoon' had been silenced.)

' _Will you be my witness?'_ (Alice tried a rather eccentric pose when it was her turn. She pointed to Mettaton with both her arms, one straight forward while the other was leaning over her head. She balanced on her tippy toes to make the gesture seem a bit more graceful. Mettaton looked quite satisfied.)

' _I'm just looking for a witness, in all of this.'_ (Mettaton kicked up his leg grandly as his next pose, one arm to his chest and the other outstretched, giving the air of a showman. Alice on the other hand did a comfortable curtsy as her pose.)

' _Looking for a witness to get me through this.'_ (Mettaton then got on the floor, lying on his stomach, and did something pretty incredible in Alice's eyes. Like a worm, he slithered up and down on the dance floor in place with an unusual but impressive flow to his body. _What moves can he not perform?_ Alice thought in wonder.)

' _Been a prisoner of the paaaast'_ (Alice noticed that once again the music had changed its tempo and beat. The snapping fingers disappeared as did some of the softer piano sounds. Instead the beating of drums and a energetic rhythm overtook the stage. Mettaton, still singing with no signs of exhaustion or tiredness, flipped onto his back and held an arm to the heavens.)

' _Had a bitterness when I looked back'_ (Mettaton slowly sat up while simultaneously spreading his legs out as though he was about to perform some stretches. Alice suddenly realized that Mettaton had abandoned attacking her and seemed completely invested in this performance. It gave Alice a great sense of clarity and confidence to assist him.)

' _Was telling everyone it's not that baaaaaaaaaaaaad'_ (Alice made some strides across the dance floor, taking exaggerated steps and arm motions with a sense of focus and connection to the music.)

' _Til' all my shit hiiiiiit the faaan'_ (Alice then braced herself and performed an exquisite pirouette. She was a bit surprised at the vulgar word used in the lyrics though and looked over to Mettaton in annoyance as soon as she was done.)

' _I know I'm always like telling everybody that you don't gotta be a victim, Life ain't always fair, but hell is living in resentment"_ (As the music seemed to pick up in speed, Mettaton suddenly started rolling around on the floor, swaying his head and moving his body left and right in interesting shapes.)

' _Choose redemption, your happy ending's up to you'_ (Mettaton then hopped onto his feet and shook his hips rather flirtatiously. While Alice didn't appreciate the movement, she did find the lyrics he just said to be rather inspiring and reassuring. It definitely reflected what she had been thinking thus far about what she believed would be best for the Underground as well as the fact her fate was within her hands. _It's remarkable how this anthem seems directed to both the monsters and to me_ , Alice thought.)

' _It's always been inside of you, you, you, now it's time to let it throuuuuuuuugggghhhhh'_ (Then to Alice's surprise, Mettaton walked up to her and took her hands in his metallic hands. A dance between the two of them seemed to be the only possibility from this decision. The drums appeared to die down and the energy became slower and more soft like at the beginning, indicating what was coming next in the song was a more elegant and soft part. Somehow the idea of dancing a ballroom-style dance with Mettaton was much more comforting than dancing alone. Perhaps because it reminded Alice of dancing with her sister. So she nodded to indicate she was ready.)

' _We could be heroooooooooooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesss'_ (Mettaton then took Alice across the floor, arm in hand in a tango-style strut. Alice was able to keep up with this likely because Mettaton was doing it in a normal speed.)

' _We could be heroooooooooesss, me and youuuuuuuuuuuuuu'_ (Mettaton held Alice's arm up after stopping in place, letting Alice spin around gracefully, or at least as gracefully as an untrained dancer her age could be. Noticeably the flowers seemed to be swaying to the music as well.)

' _We're coming down, Coming down to Earth,'_ (Mettaton then held Alice close to his chest, making the small girl quite flustered and surprised at the motion. Then he spun around slowly and gently, a small lift reminiscent of a beautiful pair of ballroom dancers. Alice attempted to hold out her legs to add the flourish Mettaton was probably desiring and felt fairly satisfied with her results. They weren't perfect but they did do their part to look nice to the audience. Also curious to Alice was that the flowers were singing as a chorus again, singing 'Down' between the lyrics Mettaton was singing in a very melodious fashion. At this point Alice was completely swept up in the joy and celebration of this anthem, enjoying herself in a way she never expected.)

' _Like babies at birth, Coming Down to Earth, Redefine your priorities, these are extraordinary qualities.'_ (Continuing with the current theme of lifts, Mettaton picked up the little girl up by her tummy and held her up, letting her stretch out into a very elegant pose that was a bit tricky to maintain but the effort was worth it. Mettaton gently walked around the dance floor, still singing and showing great strength and stamina by being able to maintain this maneuver. The flowers also continued to sing the chorus but also adding a 'Down to Earth' part at one point. It was very likely that they were describing the desire of the monsters to break the barrier and once again come down to Earth. _Although in theory wouldn't it be more along the lines of going up?_ Alice thought randomly despite the purity of the situation. At the end of the last lyrics, Mettaton set her down and let the flowers sing two more lines of chorus.)

' _All we're looking for is love and a little light, love and a little light, we could be...'_ (Mettaton started to dance freestyle again much like he had when he was attacking Alice and yet these were moves that Alice had seen several times throughout the fight and this Anthem. It seemed as though Mettaton was subtly inviting Alice to join in the dance and match his movements. It was a friendly challenge and invitation Alice was willing to accept. The flowers had noticeably quieted down their chorus and seemed to be glowing brightly, a high-energy music slowly building up.)

' _All we're looking for is love and a little light, love and a little light'_ (With the next set of lyrics, Alice started dancing in tandem with Mettaton, both of them performing the same dance moves in perfect unison. Even as the music built up its momentum to a high-energy beat and what was clearly the finale, Alice was proving herself capable of keeping up with Mettaton's movements.

' _We could be heroooooooooooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesss'_ (As the two of them danced with intense energy, the flowers sang once again in a chorus, singing 'whoaaaaaaaa'.)

' _We could be heroooooooooesss, me and youuuuuuuuuuuuuu'_ (As the music was reaching it's final note, Alice and Mettaton braced themselves for the final poses. The flowers of DETERMINATION suddenly seemed to disperse after singing their last part of chorus…)

' _We could be'_ (Alice's pose was an elegant and formal curtsy as always, something that seemed always appropriate to close out a show in her mind while Mettaton's pose was more glamorous. He was doing a split once more, this time with his legs going sideways and one hand was covering his eye and his tongue was sticking out. It was daring and quite dramatic but not nearly as dramatic as what happened next. Bread-and-butterflies of DETERMINATION flew overhead, the remnants of the flowers Alice had summoned. It appeared they were serving as special effects and to make the effect of the closing note and poses even more spectacular. With this final display, Mettaton's show and the anthem itself came to a close.)

"D-did we secure enough ratings…?" Alice started to pant, the sheer amount of dancing she just did finally getting to her.

They were at 12,364 ratings to be exact. It certainly exceeded the 10,000 ratings milestone and was a symbol of success. This moment was the first time in quite a while that Alice felt such an extreme sense of accomplishment and joy. The song's inspiring messages, the act of performing, fulfilling Papyrus's advice, and the overall euphoria of this moment was making the little girl absolutely thrilled. The music and Mettaton's singing itself was also simply breathtaking to hear and made Alice feel just the slightest bit more connected to the time period she was in now. She clapped merrily to herself and pointed at the chart excitedly.

"M-Mettaton! Look…! We've done it…! We've reached… the highest ratings…!" She never imagined being so glad for Mettaton until this encounter.

Mettaton got onto his knees from the split and faced the ratings chart, the last of the bread-and-butterflies fading away. His expression was not as abundantly ecstatic as Alice's but it did show an instant joy and pride.

"OOH, LOOK AT THESE RATINGS! THIS IS THE MOST VIEWERS I'VE EVER HAD!" His voice seemed to revert back to his original form's tone, perhaps to rest his vocals after such a performance.

"I-isn't it astounding…?! I… I never knew I was capable… o-of something like this, or that… this was even something I was proficient at…!" Alice continued to cheer as well as pant.

She ultimately took a moment to regain her breath as best she could for her sister or even the Queen of Hearts would likely scold her for breathing so hard in the public's eye. Mettaton in the meantime seemed to be getting something ready with some arm gestures before finally speaking again,

"WE'VE REACHED THE VIEWER CALL-IN MILESTONE! ONE LUCKY VIEWER WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO TALK TO ME… BEFORE I LEAVE THE UNDERGROUND FOREVER!"

"Oh… wait a moment, there was a milestone for that as well?" Alice asked with disappointment at first but then sudden confusion.

Papyrus hadn't mentioned anything about a viewer call-in milestone in the phone call. Merely that Mettaton had never reached over 10,000 ratings on one of his shows. _Did… he hide that from me so that I wouldn't be dissuaded from helping Mettaton for such a selfish reason? Although that's not exactly selfish if it helped me spare him and follow Toriel's teachings. I imagine that's certainly the case here and I did promise to help him speak with Mettaton._ Alice debated over this unusually crafty side of Papyrus in her head. On the other hand, Mettaton's words still showed he desired to leave the Underground and use Alice's soul to do so. What was odd though was that it seemed more logical for him to take her soul now before doing the viewer call-in and he wasn't making any attempt. In fact he seemed conflicted about the decision despite his words.

"LET'S SEE WHO CALLS IN FIRST!" He announced.

The sound of a phone ringing seemed to emanate from the entire room as opposed to a single source, reflecting a sense that the technology behind this was installed within the CORE. After a single ring though, the phone seemed to be answered by some behind the scenes method.

"HI, YOU'RE ON TV! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ON THIS, OUR LAST SHOW?" Mettaton looked up to the corners of the ceiling in awe.

"... oh….. hi... mettaton... " The last voice Alice had expected to hear addressed what was once his cousin.

"*Gasp* …!" Alice suddenly felt a twinge of emotion and clasped her hands onto her mouth.

Mettaton also had a distinct reaction, a bold smile becoming a shocked look and then listening very carefully to what Napstablook had to say.

"i really liked watching your show… my life is pretty boring… but… seeing you on the screen… brought excitement to my life… vicariously. i can't tell, but… i guess this is the last episode…? i'll miss you… mettaton…"

"D-despite the pain he was put through by your actions… he has been a supporter through and through… oh Napsta…" Alice was extremely touched by Napstablook's forgiveness and words.

He had told Alice to forgive him and it seemed at the time like he was entrusting her to do so in his place. Yet here Napstablook was, on the line, conversing with Mettaton and sharing all his thoughts and his wishes to him. If anything, it proved which of the two was stronger in mind and soul. Mettaton seemed quite crushed, remorse in his downcast eyes. This vulnerability was perhaps even more beautiful than all the times Mettaton had attempted to be the performer and star he claimed to be to Alice. _It's true that everyone here really does have different sides to them,_ she reasoned with pride.

"...oh…. I didn't mean to talk so long… oh…." Napstablook hung up the call.

"NO, WAIT! WAIT, BL…" Mettaton gave a desperate plea, almost as though begging for his life.

Despite his emotions, he recognized at once that his cousin had hung up. He pounded the ground once, biting his lip before quickly shaking his head. He seemed to be in denial or perhaps on the verge of simply losing his composure which he was showing signs of. Mettaton put on a brave smile and made another announcement as Alice watched with her hands folded,

"I'LL TAKE ANOTHER CALLER!"

"Mettaton, your show made us so happy!"

"Mettaton, I don't know what I'll watch without you."

"Mettaton, there's a Mettaton-shaped hole in my Mettaton-shaped heart." Three calls in quick succession displayed a great sense of emotion.

"AH… I…" The star robot looked weak.

Alice saw that this was her opportunity to fulfill that fabled promise and quickly dialed the designated number on her phone.

"Mettaton, if you don't mind my intrusion, I know of a great fan of yours who'd love to speak with you." Alice spoke calmly and handed him the phone.

"... S-SURE… YOU'VE EARNED IT." Mettaton gave a sad smile to her and accepted it.

"METTATON? METTA TO THE TON? HI! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WANTED TO PERSONALLY CONGRATULATE YOU AND THE WONDERFUL ALICE FOR ACHIEVING THE HIGHEST RATINGS YET! I'M SO HONORED TO WITNESS IT!" The phone being put on speaker allowed for all to hear.

Alice felt a slight blush as Papyrus used the title she had given to herself when they had the snowball fight in Snowdin. She also felt a slight rush of nostalgia as she remembered the fun and pleasant memories behind that encounter. It felt like it had been so long since she had such a relaxing taste of an activity. Mettaton also seemed very happy in his own way, looking slightly teary-eyed for his robotic self. He responded in a very polite way that made Alice's respect for him grow even more,

"MORE THAN WITNESS… YOU ARE NOW A PART OF IT."

"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?! THIS IS BEING RECORDED?! OH MY GOD! SANS! PEOPLE WILL FINALLY KNOW MY NAME AND I'LL MAKE A BAJILLION FRIENDS!" Papyrus's reaction was not quite what Alice had expected.

"enjoy the fanservice bro." Sans pun, while good, made Alice slightly freeze up upon hearing him again.

"THANK YOU SANS! NOW GO BACK TO YOUR STATION ALREADY! *AHEM* NOW METTATON, MY ADMIRATION FOR YOU IS THROUGH THE ROOF! I SEE YOU AS A TRUE STAR AND INSPIRATION! BUT I ADVISE YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR I CARE ABOUT ALICE A LOT TOO THAT IF YOU MUST PURSUE YOUR DREAMS ABOVE GROUND, PLEASE DO SO ONCE THE BARRIER IS DESTROYED. AFTER, LET'S SAY, A NO-SOULS-LOST SITUATION HAPPENS."

"... Thank you Papyrus." Papayrus's sweet words and consideration did manage to warm Alice back up.

"I SEE… … EVERYONE THANK YOU SO MUCH. …" Mettaton hung up the phone call softly and handed it back to Alice.

"It's wonderful to have such immense support." Alice said sweetly, hoping to help Mettaton calm down as he still looked a bit swept up in his emotions.

"DARLING. PERHAPS… IT MIGHT BE BETTER IF I STAY HERE FOR A WHILE. HUMANS ALREADY HAVE STARS AND IDOLS, LIKE THE ONES I COVERED FOR YOU IN THAT PERFORMANCE, BUT MONSTERS… THEY ONLY HAVE ME. IF I LEFT… THE UNDERGROUND WOULD LOSE ITS SPARK. I'D LEAVE AN ACHING VOID THAT CAN NEVER BE FILLED. SO… I THINK I'LL HAVE TO DELAY MY BIG DEBUT." Mettaton nodded his head to confirm his decision.

"I think the monsters would be very glad to hear that."

"YOU'VE PROVEN TO BE VERY STRONG. PERHAPS… EVEN STRONG ENOUGH TO GET PAST ASGORE. I'M SURE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO PROTECT HUMANITY."

"Humanity AND monsters together. I want them both to live on and be free." Alice said.

After saying such, Alice was perplexed. The Alice who had been dismissive of books with no pictures in it wouldn't have said something like what she just said so naturally. The Underground's trials and tribulations had led Alice to a world just like Wonderland, just like she had dreamed about. While in Wonderland she hadn't ever found her footing and ended up fleeing a crowd of craziness, here she had a goal, she had support from the residents, she was fighting and reasoning to solve the dilemmas plaguing the monsters and keep them from taking them out on the monsters. In some twisted way, it almost made it seem Alice's separation from her sister, Dinah, and everything she knew was for the better. She had grown at a heavy cost. Alice would never forget and would always miss what she had lost but all things considered, she truly had gone on a marvelous adventure and was becoming stronger through doing so. It was similar with Mettaton, someone she was liking now even more than the creator who made him.

"HA, HA… IT'S ALL FOR THE BEST, ANYWAY. THE TRUTH IS, THIS FORM'S ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS… INEFFICIENT. IN A FEW MOMENTS, I'LL RUN OUT OF BATTERY POWER."

In that instant, Alice was dragged down from cloud nine and sent plummeting into a state of great concern.

"Out of battery power…? D-does that-? HOW? I thought Alphys built you to perfection? How can you-"

"IT'S THE ORIGINAL FORM WITH MORE SUSTAINABILITY… THIS FORM… IT USES UP TOO MUCH OF WHAT WE GOT ON HAND AND IS IN DEVELOPMENT… THE DAY IT'LL BE PERFECTED… IS NOT THIS DAY." Mettaton even seemed to be slowly winding down, crouching back and forcing Alice to rush over to his aid.

"No… this can't be…! Mettaton you can't fall down now!" Alice held his form tightly.

"I'LL BE ALRIGHT. KNOCK EM' DEAD, DARLING. AND EVERYONE… THANK YOU. YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT AUDIENCE!"

Mettaton's final words were nearly eclipsed by the sight of his limbs detaching from his body and his eyes going into black, hollow pupils. His prized legs and long arms fell off in quick succession, leaving a powered down torso that a teary-eyed Alice was cradling in her arms.

To Be Continued...


	29. Underland's Wondertale

Alice in Undertale Chapter 28

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 28 Underland's Wondertale

As the little girl weeped, she didn't hear the sound of the door behind her unlocking and opening afterward. What she did hear was Alphys, sounding much too excited at first,

"I… I managed to open the lock! Are you two… Oh my god."

For what it was worth Alphys didn't pry Alice away from Mettaton's torso as she ran over in alarm. The genuine worry in her voice was also meaningful for it meant the Royal Scientist did truly care about Mettaton. Still, hearing and being within proximity to this deceptive monster quickly started to stir some furious feelings in Alice. Alice coldly looked over to Alphys, tears streaming. Alphys seemed to understand that Alice was cross or upset with her and she winced. Fiddling her fingers before mustering up the bravery to speak to Alice, Alphys asked,

"C-can I see him... ? I-I need to examine-"

"Yes." Alice wanted to get to the point, not listen to anymore unneeded details.

Reluctantly handing Alphys the torso, Alice watched Alphys fiddle around with some of the bolts and functions that were on the cyborg.

"Mettaton! Mettaton are you…" Alphys spoke to the depowered robot in a frightened tone.

Alice got to her feet, dusting off her apron as she silently watched Alphys examine Mettaton. Wiping away the rest of her tears, she gazed at the monster with a cold look. _None of this would've happened if she did what was best for the monsters and not for her own entertainment,_ she thought darkly. She did look surprised when Alphys turned away and smiled in relief.

"... thank GOD, it's just the batteries. Mettaton, if you were gone, I would have… I would have…"

"Done your duty?" Alice offered her suggestion of what Alphys would've done in a very brutal fashion.

"... A-Alice I understand how this all l-looks… b-but… why don't go on ahead?" Alphys seemed positively defeated as she weakly made her request.

Something about the tone in Alphys's voice triggered a rare fury into Alice. The inconsistency between the demand which at this point sounded like she was being sent off into some other unknown or orchestrated situation and the meek voice that had called her so many times was too prominent. She had tried to overlook this puppetry but right now, if Alice was to go on ahead it would be because of her curiousity and not manipulation. With this momentum, Alice approached Alphys with furious steps. Alphys was too busy looking down at Mettaton to notice when Alice's outstretched hand suddenly made contact with her right cheek.

"*SWAP!*"

Alphys's glasses were knocked to the ground as Alphys grasped her suddenly sore cheek. Alice was aware of how this single action would be grounds for her sister to scold her severely but what was the point of keeping in mind her sister's advice now when she had been wronged so deeply? Alphys's attention shifted between Mettaton, her glasses, and Alice, all of it very stunned and clearly hurt. The little girl was not finished with a mere slap though, speaking once more to Alphys,

"To give you enough time to deceive me again? I'm sorry but I believe I'm owed an explanation on behalf of the monsters who've been suffering on behalf of your ridiculous behavior. Explain to me why you orchestrated this nonsense."

"I… I do not possess m-much confidence in myself… a-and I'm a homebody… a-and there wasn't a human in s-so long… when I saw you a-and how you were THE Alice I… I got carried away. I tested y-you and w-wanted to include myself in your adventure… wanted to feel special. I-I let it get out of hand…." Alphys made a feeble confession as she picked up her glasses and examined for cracks.

"You were abusing your position and power! Instead of researching ways to break the barrier you had me go through traps and trickery and Mettaton. Even Mettaton was through with your manipulation! And for a self-confidence boost? At first I sympathized with that but when the stakes have become so high it's inexcusable!" Alice pointed at Alphys angrily, her tirade just beginning.

The Royal Scientist lowered her head in shame, looking over to Mettaton as a source of comfort. It felt good to Alice to finally call out on Alphys for her constant disturbances and obvious masterminding of everything that had transpired in Hotland. It wasn't just that though, it was the idea of this person in such an important role not fulfilling that role. It made it seem as though the dream she had made come true for Mettaton wasn't out of the goodness of her heart. It even got Mettaton to this unconscious state, someone who genuinely didn't want to end the lives of humanity like Asgore did. It seemed to say that her true loyalties lied with Asgore, someone who wanted the destruction of humanity.

"And how does any of this help free the monsters? Why were all those letters in your lab left unopened and unanswered? Beyond playing me for a fool, you are playing all those monsters for a fool. And I believe you'd prefer for me not to get onto the topic of your fabrication of human history." Alice folded her arms.

"... n-no…" Alphys sounded extremely meek and even depressed.

"I haven't the faintest idea why Asgore chose someone of such deceptiveness. Perhaps you've been deceiving him too." Alice finished with a scathing remark.

Alphys offered a rather dark glance towards the ground. In her heart, Alice felt a twinge of sympathy for bringing Alphys to this fragile state. Yet her fury being unleashed drowned that brief sympathy and instead seemed proud of finally having a say against the Scientist. Alphys muttered something inaudible to herself and ultimately she clasped her hands together and took a deep breath. It seemed she was ready to possibly defend herself.

"I-I'm not… I've just made m-m-mistakes… t-too many… a-and I'm sorry I did this to you…"

"I would honestly give the monsters an apology first. There's so much at stake between the barrier, freedom, my life, your honor and integrity, and everything else that has transpired here." Alice softened her expression as she spoke from her heart.

"... Alice… t-there is a way t-to find your freedom… but it i-isn't-"

"I know… I know. I can sacrifice my soul to break the barrier. It would ensure the most lives can go free. I haven't given up looking for another way though." Alice confessed.

"No… there is one way… but you won't like it…" Alphys said some choice words that made Alice nervous.

"Won't like it…?"

Something in her head already seemed to know the answer. It was what Chara wanted after all. Kill someone and use their soul. The question is how and why though. If it were a mere monster then would that really be strong enough to use? Alice's head was working quickly, almost too quickly for her preference. In fact she feared she had already came to a conclusion about the correct answer… To Alice's surprise though, Alphys walked over and entered through the stone door, the way to what was presumably Asgore's Castle. Alice stopped to give Mettaton's empty body a mournful glance, feeling that he didn't deserve this fate compared to some of the other characters she had met. _I can only hope Napstablook doesn't find out about this,_ Alice thought. Feeling nervous and depressed, she chased Alphys. The doorway led to a familiar-looking CORE path with an elevator at the very end of the hall. Alphys was standing besides the elevator door, fidgeting.

"Alphys… you're saying I won't like this other way? Even then, telling me about it before would've saved much confusion…" Alice asked again as she approached the elevator.

"There's a r-reason f-for that… I-I can't hide it f-from you any longer… rather I can't take it anymore..." Alphys sighed sadly and looked away from Alice, humiliated.

"Please just tell me already! Deceit is deceit but I'm willing to listen to your honesty now!" Alice yelled with some desperation to hear what she had to say.

"I… I lied to you… A human SOUL isn't strong enough to cross the barrier alone. It takes at least a human soul… And a monster soul. …If you want to go home… You'll have to take his soul. You'll have to kill ASGORE."

Alice felt as though someone had grabbed at her neck and choked her. Her mind was paralyzed with shock and fear and her body felt stiff and much too heavy. It was firmly, finally confirmed. Flowey's 'Kill or be Killed' logic was justified. Either a monster died at Alice's hand or Alice died at the monster's hands. The barrier was tied to death, the question is whose and how? Something like that did seem to justify why Alphys had hid it, it was a mind-breaking conclusion. Yet Alice was at a mental state that wasn't really one-hundred percent. In fact she suddenly recalled something that was said long ago… Words that seemed cautionary for multiple reasons than the initial reason Alice suspected.

' _You naive child… you are blinded by curiousity and are oblivious to many things… If you leave the ruins… they… ASGORE… will kill you…I am only protecting you, do you not understand?'_

 _I wonder if Toriel knew all along_ , Alice thought, _and was trying to point out how there will ultimately be a killing should I go on._ Maybe the goat mother was trying to protect Asgore too from the children while simultaneously protecting the children from him. A sort of deadlock tie to prevent another heavy loss in the Underground. No… if Alice was lost, it wouldn't be heavy to anyone save a few monsters she befriended. Were Asgore to be lost, who could possibly imagine the tragic reactions on the monster's faces? And it'd probably seal humanity's reputation as negative for all eternity. Alice's head was wracked with a number of troubling thoughts but Alphys came to Alice's aid quickly.

"A-Alice…! I-I'm sorry… please… m-maybe w-w-we can hide you for a little while longer… a-and uh… try r-researching…?" Alphys suggested with a weak voice.

' _But… just know that Sans… he doesn't trust you. No matter what's happened he's never trusted you… I don't know why but this is why… I just know he's been taking his time… waiting… waiting to strike you with some twisted revelation or cruel battle. Just like all the others.'_

' _DON'T LIE TO MY FACE AND ACT LIKE YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU SUPPOSEDLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT.'_

"... Alphys, I… I believe that option is no longer available." Alice said frailey.

"H-how…?"

"The SOULS are tied to life, it seems to be an undeniable proof of this world… and if SOULS are what's powerful enough to even crack the barrier, then they are what is needed. But I'm needed to give my SOUL up to the monsters who've painstakingly collected six others. Otherwise I have to claim one of theirs and that's just unforgivable at this point. I'm going to speak with Asgore, see if we can find a compromise." She was fully aware that she was giving somewhat of a swan song.

"...! … I'm sorry." Alphys knew her words were far too little to console but what else could she do?

Alice's mind felt numb, exhausted, only able to process a few things. Based on the way things were going, Sans was likely to intervene in some way before she got to Asgore. If she even made it to Asgore, one of them would absolutely have to die if there was any chance of the Barrier breaking. She'd have to place all her hopes and dreams on the idea of a compromise if she wasn't a corpse by then. She could've antagonized Alphys for setting Asgore up like this, letting him be the final obstacle to Alice's own freedom. She could've wallowed in misery at the fact that no matter what, a life was the price to pay for freedom from the Underground. In truth, this feeling felt familiar to one of her daydreams. One where she had greatly desired to go home after having more than enough adventures in Wonderland. It resulted in a breakdown in the Tulgey Wood. Here she had no such opportunity. She was still running on a sort of DETERMINATION to at least try to prove Flowey and Chara wrong for as long as she could. Yet she could feel that DETERMINATION quickly dwindling. She stepped into the elevator as Alphys watched.

"... I'll… I'll t-try to be hopeful… l-like you are Alice… e-even if it's not easy for m-me…" Alphys said one last set of words before walking away, an attempt to give the little girl some comfort before they parted for good.

Although Alice didn't reply, the meaning behind the royal scientists words gave Alice slight comfort. As the doors slided, Alice decided she should've controlled her temper better. She had certainly not given Alphys any mercy moments before and something in her head was telling her she'd regret it. But there was so much more to regret at the moment… broken promises, Mettaton's temporary yet tragic fate, her deteriorating relationship with Sans, and her extremely sore feet. It seemed the fatigue of her journey had caught up with her, or perhaps she had lost all curiousity and it was making her aware of reality. After pushing the button that would hopefully take her to the final destination of the Underground, she flopped to the floor and sat down, taking a breath.

"I suppose this explains all the trouble that I'm always in… it was 'kill or be killed' from the start… that's the only solution." Alice said to herself.

As the elevator started to move, she contemplated what was the best thing to do. Sacrificial lamb or murdering liberator? Either way someone would be freed and so soon that whoever was freed would probably be crying tears of joy and celebrating. A human girl or an entire race of monsters? The girl in question suffered quite a bit, was under heavy suspicion of being involved in some plot, prone to being manipulated it seemed, and was the final piece of the puzzle. The monsters in question suffered intensely, seemed to be plotting vengeance against the humans, prone to hasty judgements, and had the puzzle placed upon them for far too long. And what if there was another way? Could the monsters wait that long to find it? Could Alice wait that long to find it? Was it even possible to be found now?

"I can't seem to find my way anymore... " Alice spoke hushed words.

The elevator doors opened, much as Alice almost wished she could stay in the elevator forever. The little girl forced herself to get up and found herself in a hallway set in grayscale colors. It was strangely soothing and relaxing and it actually made Alice surprised. _It didn't seem like Asgore to have such a plain set of colors for his castle,_ she thought. It was also possible this wasn't the castle itself but rather the entryway, similar to how some castles had a drawbridge or a gate for travelers to enter in and out of. Normally such a thought gave Alice a sense of pride or familiarity but in her disoriented and tired state, it made her frown that she hadn't yet arrived to Asgore's throne room.

"It's almost as if he doesn't exist…" She said glumly.

The hallway went left and so Alice followed with tired eyes and footsteps. What it led to was something that Alice hadn't expected.

"*Gasp*! That's… is that a kingdom?" She put a hand to her mouth.

There was another elevator and a sight that, even in strange grayscale, looked quite astonishing and beautiful. It was a whole kingdom of buildings, that seemed to stretch out quite some ways away, with a variety of regal and elegant styles. Domes, cathedrals, towers… it reminded Alice of her old home in England and the famous architecture there. It appeared this was some sort of secret passage or perhaps a main bridge to the castle that settled above the kingdom and would've been used by the king himself. Something about the scale of this kingdom seemed so fascinating to Alice, considering the rest of the Underground. While it had been big it certainly had seemed divided into small patches of civilization. The Ruins, Snowdin, the area where Napstablook was settled in Waterfall, the Temmie's home, Muffet's domain, Alphys's lab, MTT Hotel, all individualized. Here it seemed like a place where all the monsters could live altogether in one environment. Yet it was deathly quiet and the colors suggested an aged or faded appearance to this kingdom.

' _Trapped behind the barrier and fearful of further human attacks, we retreated. Far, far into the earth we walked, until we reached the cavern's end. This was our new home, which we named… "Home". As great as our king is, he is pretty lousy at names.'_

"...! I see… could this have been the first home of the monsters?" Alice was struck with a sense of inspiration as she recalled the history book she had read at the Ruins.

It made sense, Asgore would no doubt want to be as close to the barrier as possible to monitor it and be there at all times for the day seven souls could be gathered. All the other monsters were residing farther away from it. Likely this grayscale kingdom was the first series of living quarters for the monsters when they arrived at the Underground before they sought more room or different areas to reside in. They abandoned this kingdom for the towns and establishments of the various parts of the Underground.

"There must not have been a lot of available comforts or amenities when these were made. Despite the beauty of these buildings they eventually moved..." Alice said out loud.

That was the practical reason for moving away but what if there was some other reason for all these buildings to be left unoccupied? After all, when she had talked to Muffet, she mentioned some spiders were trapped in the Ruins for generations. They wouldn't have moved there if they couldn't pass through Snowdin for instance. _Perhaps some of the monsters were forced into the Underground through the Mt. Ebbot route,_ Alice concluded. Alice was beginning to feel slightly excited again. While she felt drained and was dealing with a great internal conflict of what was right, her curiousity had returned and it was enough for her to go on with more passion. She couldn't feel the pain in her feet anymore as she carried on her way. The bridge parted from the wall entirely and led upward to what was probably the ultimate castle. Sturdy towers with many windows were the only things peering above the darkness below, reminding her of the dangerous Undyne encounter prior to the garbage dump. What the bridge ultimately led up to was…

"... What sort of magic is this…?" Alice felt a shiver go up her spine and her excitement disappear.

There was no castle, or gate, or drawbridge. There wasn't anyone there greeting her. What was there was something else entirely. A house. A quaint-looking house made of stone. Leaves on the ground and on either side of a welcoming entranceway. Two windows. A stone tablet above the entrance she could not read. All in the same muted colors as the kingdom. But it was unmistakable. Save for a few things on the outside that weren't here now, this was an exact replica of Toriel's home in the Ruins. Alice could hardly breathe for a few moments. _Why…? Why is this so similar…?_ Her thoughts felt heavy and rattled as she tried to make sense of it. Was this where Toriel had once lived? Was this merely a coincidence? Had Toriel been inspired and built her home in this same style? Why…?

"I have to go in there but…" Alice was torn in her tone.

It almost felt like she was about to do something forbidden, an ultimate secret was to be revealed or some twist of fate would happen as soon as she stepped inside. There was no Toriel here to welcome her and guide her along this time and no sense of relief of finding this to begin with. A vague melody seemed to be in the air as well yet Alice couldn't really be sure at this point if she was hallucinating it or if it was like the music box in Waterfall. Approaching this mysterious yet familiar home was giving a vague knowledge of what it was called… New Home.

"New…? How could it possibly be new…?" Alice asked herself in shock as she walked inside.

What she saw was actually very uncomfortable. There was a stairway just like in Toriel's home, leading downward, a lamp, a bookcase, a mirror, a cabinet with a vase of beautiful golden flowers, and two padlocks blocking the stairway. All of it mirrored Toriel's home, to the point Alice felt as though she stepped through the looking glass… The presence of the golden flower was also a bit unnerving as it reminded her of the patches of them she had fallen onto several times now in the Underground. It also reminded her of the knowledge Asgore's favorite tea involved the golden flowers and Monster Kid had recounted that he had grown grown a lot of them. While it did look like a very comfortable home it also seemed to have been vacant and quiet.

"Maybe this is Asgore's home then…" Alice thought with as much optimism as she could muster before examining the note.

'Howdy! I'm in the garden. If you have anything you need to get off your chest, please don't hesitate to come. The keys are in the kitchen and the hallway.'

"... Why did it have to be that greeting?" Alice complained, already getting startling flashbacks to Flowey's signature welcome.

At the same time though, she had a hunch it had nothing to do with Flowey. Flowey didn't seem like he even owned a home and was an outcast in the Underground. So if anything, it was probably someone who just happened to use that greeting in this message.

"It does make sense for the keys to be in the kitchen and hallway at least. Hopefully there'll be no more encounters…" Alice wearily stated.

She decided to go towards the kitchen first and found another traumatic sense of deja vu. There was a living room with a dining table for four, another golden flower within a vase, a cozy reading chair, a fireplace, a bookcase, and a rack of tools. There was no warmth or colors and there was no fire burning within the fireplace this time. It all seemed almost like she wasn't even in a house anymore but some exhibit in a museum displaying the interior of an old home. The interior of Toriel's home. Alice was starting to feel a sense of dread, not finding any comfort for either her inevitable destiny involving death or that she'd like exploring this New Home. As she approached the kitchen, half-heartedly imagining there'd be a butterscotch cinnamon pie waiting for her, she was startled when two Froggits appeared before her. The way they appeared was almost as though they teleported in front of her path but they didn't seem dangerous or hostile. In fact, they seemed to start telling her some sort of story,

"A long time ago, a human fell into the RUINS." The left one began.

"Injured by its fall, the human called out for help." The right one stated.

Alice raised an eyebrow slightly, frowning in reaction to hearing this. Were they recounting something that happened to one of the previous six, or seven according to Sans, children? A sad history lesson was the last thing she needed… or maybe it was just what she needed. It was hard to decide what she could get out of such a story, a motivation to keep going or a motivation to resign? To keep going would kill a monster or perhaps result in a futile proposition and to resign would perhaps consist of hiding or finally giving the monsters…

"No! I can't think like that… w-what would Papyrus say?" Alice stopped herself from that line of reasoning and shook her head albeit desperately.

While she had been thinking to herself, the Froggits had disappeared just as oddly as they appeared. It left the entranceway to the kitchen open and Alice practically ran into the room. Once again it mirrored Toriel's right down from the placement of the fridge to utensils on the wall. What differed this time was a gold key lying on the counter. Alice instinctively grabbed it and hooked it onto her phone's keychain but also noticed another note and some papers in the trash can. The note read 'Howdy! Help yourself to anything you want!' _I should also check what's in the fridge,_ Alice thought gloomily. Opening it revealed unopened containers of snails. In the trash was crumbled up recipes for butterscotch cinnamon pie.

' _Do you smell that? Surprise! It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here. So I will hold off on snail pie for tonight.'_

"..." Alice suddenly felt very sick.

This was Toriel's old home, she must've lived near Asgore's kingdom. But why were there four chairs? Why were these notes addressed to someone who was likely not Toriel? Why was this place even abandoned? Why was there still food in the fridge? Why would Toriel be permitted to live so close to the kingdom? Why had she mimicked her home into the Ruins so closely to this one?

"I-I should just stop asking questions." Alice put a hand to her head, trying to give herself advice that wouldn't drive her insane.

She thrived on discovering and reasoning, it's what let her survive the Underground. But now all her curiousity was just serving to risk opening up some dark secret that would probably make Alice feel absolutely miserable. She wasn't in the mood to calm herself down either so all she can do was attempted to play dumb and just go along with this scavenger hunt for the keys. Alice took a deep breath to try to regain some composure. It helped her slow her heartbeat but she still felt as though she was about to have a headache. She left the kitchen quietly and made her way back to the entrance hall. Unfortunately, two more monsters, Whimsuns, appeared before her.

"ASRIEL, the king's son, heard the human's call."

"He brought the human back to the castle." Two lines did more to turn this story that they were telling into what would no doubt be the tragedy that started it all.

' _When she looked, she could indeed see the form of Chara cradled in the goat's arms. Though there was something more innocent about his appearance despite Alice being unable to see his face.'_

' _The castle looked very much like one you might find in England and even from afar was worthy of inspiring ballads and art with it's glory. Alice couldn't help but stop and stare at it wordlessly along with Monster Kid. She didn't even need to ask about what castle it was because there was no doubts in her mind that it was the King's Castle.'_

"Oh my god… o-oh…" Alice couldn't hide her emotional state any longer, tears came to her eyes.

She stopped herself from thinking. She made her way into the hallway. A rug, even more golden flowers in different pots and cabinets, and even a long mirror could be seen. Alice opened entered the room closest to her. It was a very precious looking room, perhaps for two children or siblings. Two comfortable beds, a toy chest of dusty toys, two plush goats in different shades, a big closet, a drawing of a golden flower, a lamp in the corner of the room, a family picture… Chara and Asriel's room. The thought of that alone gave this place so much sentimentality that Alice felt unworthy of being in here. Regardless of how Chara turned out, it was perhaps one of the only places he had ever been happy. And even if maybe Chara had never appreciated being with Asriel, surely Asriel had experienced a blessed life here despite what his fate might've been. It was still alarming to find that Chara had been the first child to fall down here...

"Hmm? Are these presents?" Alice wiped her tears, trying to hold it together as she spotted two beautifully wrapped gifts on the floor.

She knew it was disrespectful to open presents that were not hers yet the sight of these gifts gave Alice vague memories of the Unbirthday Party in Wonderland. Anything that connected to Wonderland helped Alice feel a bit more comfortable and right now she wanted that feeling. One of the gifts contained a rather beautiful Heart-Shaped Locket. The message inside it said 'Best Friends Forever'. Alice decided it was probably Asriel's, seeing that Chara had become a person who no longer held great regards for anyone. She debated whether to leave it where it was or bring it with her. Ultimately she decided to bring it with her, placing it in her apron pocket as she had no intention of wearing something so valuable that didn't belong to her. The other box contained a Worn Dagger. It was perfect for cutting plants and vines. Alice stared at it with a blank look for a few seconds before placing it into her pocket as well. Inside the closet was a lot of striped shirts. Alice thought briefly of the idea of Toriel dressing Asriel up in one of those striped shirts… and Chara too. She briskly left the room.

"'Room under renovations.' I suppose if you left the home for good then that means this room will remain unfinished forever." Alice offered her opinion when she noticed the next room had such a sign on it.

Three more monsters stopped her again, Moldsmal this time.

"Over time, ASRIEL and the human became like siblings."

"The King and Queen treated the human child as their own."

"The underground was full of hope."

' _Oh yeah… The prophecy. Legend has it, an 'angel' who has seen the surface will descend from above and bring us freedom.'_

Alice thought briefly of the idea of the monsters feeling blissful and happy, with nothing crazy like disappearances, hunts, or Flowey around to cause despair. It made her tear up, as she knew what eventually came to be. A dresser stood beside what was the last room in the hallway with the second golden key lying on top of it. She picked it up and hooked it onto her phone's keychain as well. She entered the last room. A desk with a journal on it, a large bed, a trophy, a bureau, a dresser, a lamp, a macaroni art picture of a flower, a mat with pawprints on it, a mirror… She looked at the journal first, noting it was ASGORE's. All it said for today's entry was 'Nice day today!' in almost wet ink, suggesting it was written recently.

"If only it was…" Alice disagreed with what it said.

The trophy had the epitaph 'Number 1 Nose-Nuzzle Champs '98!'

' _No. 2 Nuzzle Champs '98'!'_

' _(Of course we were second.)'_

Alice stopped herself from thinking again. The clothes drawer contained robes, button-up shirts, and a pink hand-knit sweater that says "Mr. Dad Guy." The bureau contained a Santa Claus outfit inside.

' _Alice nodded towards the bear, thanked him, and noticed how some of the other presents were addressed from 'Santa' to various locals. It's beginning to look even more and more like Christmas, Alice thought._

"So Asgore was Santa Claus… that's endearing." Alice smiled, perhaps the first sense of joy she had gotten from entering this place.

The macaroni art also seemed addressed 'For King Dad!' Alice's smile turned into a sad sigh. She left the room and felt a sense of relief that she could now unlock the padlocks and leave this depressing place. She noticed the long mirror and decided to give one last glance at herself before leaving. She had watery and slightly dulled eyes, a sad expression, and the pain was visible, but despite everything it was still Alice. Perhaps there was some pride to be found in that, she had lost everything from her old world yet hadn't lost her rationality or who she was when she first got to the Underground. But at this point in time there was nothing for her to be proud of. Right now she felt as though she was tied to a future fatality, her own death or the death of somebody else. Someone would have to go, the question is who and how? Right now, Alice was strongly considering herself. It would resolve everything and at least allow her to die with no dust on her hands.

"But Papyrus… and Napstablook… Monster Kid... Muffet… So Sorry… Toriel… Burgerpants… Mettaton… they want me to live..." Alice put her hands to her heart and gave herself a small mantra.

Saying the names of the monsters who had most wanted her to live and survive did give her DETERMINATION but it felt very little compared to the amount of despair she was feeling right now. Her human instinct wanted her to keep surviving but what was morally right was challenging that to extreme lengths. This story being told to her was stabbing her heart like a knife, twisting the blade as it reminded her of what transpired in the Underground and what was no doubt the start to the cycle of children's souls being collected. Everything was being placed into her hands, and even then Sans felt her hands were not even trustworthy. Alice felt a tear fall. She stopped herself from thinking. She walked back to the padlock and unlocked both of the locks with the keys she found. She passed by a calendar from the end of 201x, a reminder that she was not even part of this time, with a date circled on it. She climbed down the stairs, her head looking down. She found herself in a familiar looking passageway, a passageway that in the Ruins would end at a door that led to Snowdin. This time however, it presumably led somewhere else. Two Misgosp appeared before her, somehow bent on telling her this torturous tale.

"Then… One day…"

"The human became very ill."

Alice kept on going. Three Vegetoids offered their creepy smiles to her.

"The sick human had only one request."

"To see the flowers from their village."

"But there was nothing we could do."

' _It's just… going home… being with those you knew and held in your heart… once you fall down here, that's sealed away.'_

Alice kept on going, tears beginning to fall. Two Loox came up next, this time each of them speaking two lines from the story.

"The next day."

"The next day."

"..."

"The human died."

' _Every human that falls down here meets the same fate Alice… I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave. They die.'_

Alice sniffled and sobbed but kept on going. Surprisingly, considering she was sure only one existed, two Snowdrakes were the next storytellers.

"ASRIEL, wracked with grief, absorbed the human's SOUL."

"He transformed into a being with incredible power."

' _... I thought so. 'If a monster defeats a human, they can take its SOUL. A monster with a human SOUL… A horrible beast with unfathomable power.'_

The path turned to the left. The tears kept falling down. Three monsters Alice couldn't quite recall meeting before appeared before her. They were called Ice Caps.

"With the human SOUL, ASRIEL crossed through the barrier."

"He carried the human's body into the sunset."

"Back to the village of the humans."

' _A human SOUL isn't strong enough to cross the barrier alone. It takes at least a human soul… And a monster soul. …If you want to go home…'_

"I-I wonder… *sniff*... if that's how A-Alphys discovered it…" The little girl cried.

The path turned to the right. Alice kept going and the tears kept falling down. Three Woshuas greeted her.

"ASRIEL reached the center of the village."

"There, he found a bed of golden flowers."

"He carried the human onto it."

' _Alice suddenly felt a small impact as she finally stopped descending and hit something that appeared to be a patch of golden flowers and grass.'_

Every line tied pieces of the puzzle together. Alice's mind was numb to all this however. What she processed was merely the story and its message, she felt it wasn't important anymore to try to think about how it connected to things regarding her. She was merely the eighth child to fall into the Underground right? She could end this… Eventually she found another bridge with a view of the abandoned, greyscale kingdom. _They'd probably walk through here once the Barrier was broken…_ Three Shyren seemed to sing their parts to her,

"Suddenly, screams rang out."

"The villagers saw ASRIEL holding the human's body."

"They thought he had killed the child."

"Ngh…" Alice clutched at her heart. She could predict exactly how and where things fell apart for the Underground.

Three Dummies appeared, fortunately and unfortunately they weren't mad.

"The humans attacked him with everything they had."

"He was struck with blow after blow."

"ASRIEL had the power to destroy them all."

Alice kept going, slower than before, and the tears kept falling down. Her apron by now was soaked with tears from having to wipe her eyes and from the tears landing on them like rain. Two different monsters were next, speaking two lines a piece, Knight Knight and Madjick.

"But…"

"ASRIEL did not fight back."

"Clutching the human…"

"ASRIEL smiled and walked away."

' _Their SOULS, especially now, lack love, hope, and compassion. Not that those three things are anything to care about in the first place. Humanity's a much darker place now than it was in your time and that's why I cannot tolerate it. It needs to change.'_

The river of tears kept falling down. Three Final Froggits told the most tragic part of the story.

"Wounded, ASRIEL stumbled home."

"He entered the castle and collapsed."

"His dust spread across the garden."

' _She looked weakly at the figure realizing in horror why her clothes were so dusty… They are dusty with the dust left behind by slain monsters, Alice thought.'_

"Ngggghhh… A-Asriel…." Alice lamented the loss of someone so noble and innocent.

Three Whimsalot's fluttered forth, though at this point Alice's was moving as slowly as though she were on her tiptoes.

"The kingdom fell into despair."

"The king and queen had lost two children in one night."

"The humans had once again taken everything from us."

' _Humans like you trapped us down here. It's nice of us to stop ourselves from dancing on your graves! Not to mention you've taken away more than just our freedom from us… That is why this must be done!'_

Alice… was hardly able to keep going, and the river of tears kept falling down. A trio of Astigmatism continued the story.

"The king decided it was time to end our suffering."

"Every human who falls down here must die."

"With enough souls, we can shatter the barrier forever."

' _You know what would be more valuable to everyone than being interrogated by you? IF YOU WERE DEAD! That's right, human! Your continued existence is a crime! Your life is all that stands between us and our freedom!'_

Alice stopped in place and stared at the sky. She didn't even see the three monsters who appeared before her this time, all she was capable of doing was listening and crying.

"It's not long now."

"""King ASGORE will let us go. King ASGORE will give us hope. King ASGORE will save us all."

' _ **You felt your sins crawling on your back.'**_

The river of tears kept falling down. The story had not yet ended.

"You should be smiling, too."

"Aren't you excited?"

"Aren't you happy?"

" _If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense, because nothing would be what it is and contrary-wise what it is, it wouldn't be, and what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"_

"Ahh… ahh…" Alice's DETERMINATION depleted.

"You're going to be free." The story's over now, the end.

"UWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Nnnngghh….! *Sob* *Sob*!" Alice shrieked in absolute despair, plummeting to her knees and clasping her face.

It was too hard to bear. To know that two children had died within one day. To know that the king's son was gone in such a cruel way. To know that Chara had been the first one to die. To know that Toriel was most likely this queen and had lost her son in such a sorrowful way. To know that six or seven children were lost to this tragedy. To know that humans had given no mercy or patience to ASRIEL. To know that her method of escaping the Underground was downright sinful. To know, to know, to know...

"Uaahhh… uahhhh…!" Alice continued to cry.

It was… hopeless. How could she keep going like this? Why hadn't she just let Mettaton achieve his dreams? Or let Sans kill her? Or let Undyne take her SOUL triumphantly? Or let Papyrus become a hero? Or stayed in the RUINS? All of it… was selfish of her to do. All of it tarnished Asriel's sacrifice. All she had been doing was ridiculing and struggling and objecting and playing detective to a species that had lost so much to people like her. She wasn't even from this time period! She was apparently the spitting image of a storybook character! She lied and mistreated! She, she, she…

"*Sob* ….." Alice's tears finally slowed a bit but she was still distraught and broken.

Even her goal of finding another way seemed like a fool's dream. How could she deny these monsters their freedom a day longer? How could she let people like Napstablook or Papyrus or Toriel who had lost so much linger here any longer? All they needed was for her to die. She was just a human girl, a member of a group who took so much from the monsters. Did humanity deserve to continue to be on the surface alone? Didn't these monsters deserve to rise above the Underground too? Did Chara have a point in the end? Perhaps he did. Perhaps this was the right choice. Could it be, it would be, it has to be…

"Ngh… i-it's better this way… uuuuuu..." Alice pulled out the Worn Dagger from her apron pocket.

Any fears of the taboo idea of killing herself were rendered null and void by despair. The solace in this was she could choose her final fate. She wouldn't need to be impaled by a spear or bashed by a bone, she could just finish it in one strike. Her Soul could be picked up by the King, who seemed to be just beyond a passageway up ahead near another elevator. That would be the Seventh SOUL. That would be enough to break the Barrier. The monsters would be free… Papyrus could finally learn how to drive, Napstablook could have a new start, Mettaton would find a new audience, Toriel could leave the Ruins, So Sorry could spread his art elsewhere, Burgerpants could get a new career, Muffet could probably find help freeing her spider friends, Monster Kid could explore alongside Undyne, Undyne would learn the truth about humanity for herself, Sans wouldn't have to deal with her anymore, monsters would have a whole new life ahead of them… The dagger's handle was clutched tightly with both hands.

"A-and maybe… j-just… *sob* maybe… I could return home… maybe this is all… *sniff* a-a dream…" Alice raised the dagger to her head, hoping that it'd provide the most painless death.

Somewhere in heart she knew there was likely no way of returning to Dinah or her sister. From what Sans had described with RESETS, maybe it'd just mean someone would eventually take her place and she'd disappear like the seventh child did. Or maybe she would just die and never wake up. Yet somehow this deluding herself was something Alice appreciated. It was to be her last selfish desire before her selfless sacrifice. It meant that this act, this freeing of the monsters, would also have something good for her too. Besides, she had gone on a wonderful journey. It wasn't Wonderland but it was still magical, interesting, and full of fantastical things and characters. Like that dream, she would hopefully wake up to see her Sister ready to call her for tea…

"... Thank you…" Her final words were spoken with no regrets.

She thrust the dagger forth.

Elsewhere, in Waterfall, there was another dramatic decision being made. Anyone who would've been wandering around the houses of Undyne and Napstablook would've noticed Napstablook leaving his house. He was not to make his ways to the RUINS to lounge… rather he felt he had business to attend to. After an intense phone call in which he struggled to share deep and long withheld emotions to Mettaton, he had felt a sense of relief and happiness at being able to help his new best friend. Alice. Yet he had taken some time to think and realized something. She was about to see King ASGORE, she was about to reach the end of her destination, and while it seemed she would be safe from Mettaton now, the King was a different monster altogether. Napstablook had never been a proactive ghost, after all he passively let everyone he knew leave without much objection. It wasn't exactly a regret, it was just his nature, and he knew that with Mettaton especially that he sought dreams so much that he leaped at the opportunity that made them come true. What had made it hurt was seeing that promise in the diary and realizing that Mettaton fully abandoned him. But he was no longer abandoned and Mettaton calling his name in those moments said so much that he had been wanting for so long.

"... it's time for me to be determined…" For the first time in a long time, Napstablook headed out to find someone on his own.

For Alice, nothing happened. When Alice, who had closed her eyes, reopened them, she saw her arms clutching the dagger had not moved despite giving the action to move. Her sacrifice hadn't even happened. In fact she suddenly realized her body had gone stiff and she could not move. This sensation had happened so long ago and seemed so temporary that Alice had never dreamed it would happen again. It was like when Chara took control of her to attempt to murder Papyrus. Unlike that previous time, she noticed she could move her head and her mouth when she gasped in shock. Then she wailed, shaking her head frantically,

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WAHHHHHHHHH! S-stop! P-please let me gooooooo! I-I have to die! I have to give my SOUL! T-they need ittttttttttt….!"

 _You can't give up like this Alice, how would everyone whose lives you changed react?_ What Alice didn't expect in her wildest imaginings, was a voice she never heard before answering back. It was boyish, rather rough, someone around Alice's age but in an stern and tough-sounding tone she never heard before. It wasn't Chara's obviously but then who's was it? And why were they keeping her from doing the one thing that could free the monsters?

"I-I'm done with this…! I want to go home! P-please! Even if I go now I can at least go knowing I-I did the right thing…!" Alice started to sob again.

 _You've got more of a shot of doing the right thing than any child before you. Chara died, five others died, a seventh is missing, and you are the eighth. You can't lose that determination Alice. You have to succeed where others have tried and died for it. If you can't get that far who will?_

"What's left for me then…? M-My only option is to K-KILL… uuuu… s-someone has to die…! Alphys told me everything… these monsters t-told me everything… I just want them to be free…" Alice pleaded.

In truth the voice she was speaking to sounded much more understanding than Chara did even when being hard on her, and clearly knew everything Alice did based on referring to things Sans talked about. Deep in her brain, starting to regain some clarity and calm down from the absolute trauma that the past hour had done to her, she appreciated finding someone to reason about things with. It made her feel like her old self.

 _I used to think I had to kill too. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I experimented long and hard… it wasn't right of me to play the decider. It also wasn't right to let the monsters say I had to make the decision. You created Wonderland Alice, you can't let these monsters take away your imagination! You can't let ASRIEL or Chara down by stopping yourself from thinking! If you can't find another way to break the barrier here, think of another way using ideas that no individual here has thought of but you._ The voice spoke with DETERMINATION that almost seemed to soothe Alice's mind and heart.

"... W-who are you though…?" Alice asked as she suddenly felt her arms be freed and the dagger dropping from her fingers.

 _I am someone who needs to apologize deeply to you first of all. And… I was also someone who did a lot of bad here. You weren't the first to potentially save everyone. I was. I am the Seventh Child and the SOUL that's been at your side since the RUINS. FRISK._

To Be Continued...


	30. Prelude to Megalovania

Alice in Undertale Chapter 29

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 29 Prelude to Megalovania

Alice was astounded. Perhaps there had been more to the DETERMINATION figures of Wonderland than she had expected. To think that the White Rabbit had been the remnants of a child all along and that they not only accompanied her but aided her in this journey made her feel as though she should be giving Frisk a payment for his services. Also the fact that he was the seventh child Sans had interrogated her about and that he was not only dead like the skeleton suspected, but now a lingering SOUL. There was so much to ask and so much she could clear up now with him around but where to start? Frisk seemed to be waiting for her response so she hesitantly began her opening statements, breaths still heaving from all the crying,

"... S-so if you truly are Frisk a-and the seventh child… then that would mean you died… right?"

 _It was rightfully earned. And honestly being dead has allowed me to think a lot more clearly. It helped me find you and realize how you could finish what I started._ Frisk spoke with some self-loathing being apparent. Yet the word choice he was using reflected a sense of hope. It was very odd yet somehow it made Alice trust him.

"Were… Were you always lingering in the Ruins? A-and for how long?" Alice asked, her growing curiousity helping her calm down quicker.

 _That's a good place to start. Truthfully I've been a SOUL for not that long… but because I was like this when the RESET happened, when you came in, it was probably about as long as it took for you to run into Toriel. I woke up in a sense and noticeably, I could feel that there was another human around. That was you. You helped my SOUL resonate more strongly._

"How were you able to take the form of the White Rabbit though? When I encountered Chara for the first time they seemed to know about Wonderland too." Alice took a look at the dagger she had dropped and put her hands into her lap.

She had to accept responsibility for this. She had almost volunteered her own life to save the lives of countless monsters. Was that the right choice? Or rather, WOULD it be the right choice? Could she have gone home and woken up, revealing this all to be a dream? _That's turning a blind eye to what's happened here already,_ Alice thought. As reassuring as the idea of going home would be, Alice didn't want it to seem like an escape. She had been running for so long since she came in here but it had always been for her curiousity. Learning about the monsters, making new friends, ultimately coming to the aid of some of these monsters, and even learning about Asriel and what befell him made her want to honor his memory. The best way to do so was to be that person standing up to the king's blows and finding a peaceful way to break the barrier.

 _It seems that the SOUL reacted to yours, perhaps because of the power of a human SOUL and that it can linger. Without you realizing, I became linked with you and synchronized with your body. You are holding onto my SOUL and as long as I'm with you I'm complete. You were holding onto me deep within your heart and that way I could take on the shapes of the creative characters you came up with. It seems that your imagination is so profound that it is able to shape DETERMINATION into different forms of the images you visualize. Although I think it's my presence that enhances your SOUL to use such a power._ Frisk explained.

"Chara did seem to find me right away… perhaps they are a SOUL like yours and they came to me? Why didn't they link with me though until the Papyrus encounter?"

 _They've been a SOUL for a much longer time than I, not nearly as fresh. In fact, it'd be safe to say they are more of a ghost than a SOUL, their strong feelings pushing them forward and almost an antithesis of DETERMINATION. In the same way, I am more of half and half, with me being separated from my body like this my SOUL remains incomplete. Despite being a SOUL, I am not able to be used to break the barrier. At Papyrus's prison, they saw an opportunity to use all their combined power to attempt to possess you, but I was able to interfere with their control and your own DETERMINATION helped to overpower his influence._

"... I'm curious then, the six human SOULS they do have… isn't one of them Chara's?" Something just occurred to Alice.

 _... No. Chara's SOUL is lost in a sense, it couldn't be used to break the Barrier. Asriel absorbed it after all and when he fell, the SOUL'S essence vanished. They collected six other fallen humans SOULS. I don't know any of the original humans either._ Frisk gave a surprising response.

"H-hold on a moment! Then why was Sans saying I was the eighth human to fall down here? Doesn't that make me the ninth instead? And didn't you say five other children died earlier, not six?" Alice asked.

 _I was desperate to keep you from sacrificing yourself Alice, I may have gotten the numbers wrong but my intent of letting you know the children who've lost their lives down here would want you to keep going was true. Sans, I don't believe, ever got to know Chara personally. I also suspect he was speaking in terms of fallen children with SOULS to collect. I was supposed to be the last one and I died. But at that point I died… well there wasn't much need for the Barrier to be broken as there were hardly any monsters left to be freed._ Frisk muttered darkly.

 _The words of a killer,_ Alice realized as a chill crept down her spine. He had said he had done a lot of bad and so it was clear now that he must've done what Chara had offered Alice to do, slay the monsters. Alice wasn't sure where to go from here in terms of uncovering the truth. Ultimately, recalling the words of the March Hare and Mad Hatter, starting at the beginning and then stopping at the end was the most precise and elegant way of hearing a story.

"Perhaps it would be best then Frisk to start your story from the beginning. Maybe if I hear how you came to the Underground and what you were doing there, we could find a clue to a different solution to the Underground's troubles." Alice offered sweetly, not bothered at the idea of talking to someone currently within herself.

… _Are you sure you want the whole story? I'll say right now that you might think less of me… and I wouldn't condemn you for it but I don't want you to feel hopeless again._ Frisk gave her a clear warning but she shook her head.

"Please give me the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

 _Alright. So I know that you came in through the rabbit hole… but I took the Mt. Ebott route, it's really the only way in here. That's where things get murky in regards to you but I'll save that for later. It probably seems like I fell here accidentally but it was my own choice. I… I don't come from the best background. I'd say I was lonely, mistreated, cold, distant, I couldn't find any friends or family who'd be willing to console me with my thoughts and sometimes I heard and saw things that just made me want to hide under the covers of my own bed. What Chara described about humanity being so much more different than your time was true…_ Frisk's voice sounded depressed, perhaps not having found peace from this dark history even now.

"Part of me is afraid of going to the surface and being unable to come into my own, especially without my sister and being so young. I don't blame you being frightened of some of the crueler things in the world." Alice admitted out of sympathy.

 _Yeah, I was resigned to running away from home and ultimately I heard about Mt Ebott. It's really a strange mountain, a landmark hovering over what's best described as a large city. The story about it was that those that climbed it were never seen again._

"Isn't it blocked off then? I mean if I were to hear such a rumor I'd imagine that it'd be worth sealing the path to dissuade anyone from climbing it." Alice inquired.

 _Not entirely. Even with the six children who did climb up it… and Chara too probably, word about their disappearance didn't get around or the overall legend covered it up. It's not to deceive anyone but it's better seen as a old wives tale and that it's silly to even try climbing up there. I didn't think it was so silly, I thought maybe there'd be something waiting for me, an escape from the grim reality. No one talks about the monsters anymore, no one mentions the Barrier, I just… ended up down here._ Frisk said with slight remorse.

"It's alright Frisk… I too was very startled when I started realizing how different this place was from my ideal Wonderland." Alice confessed.

 _The way you handled it was a lot more low-key than how I handled it, especially considering you seemingly time traveled to this point. I was freaked out, anxious, paranoid… even when Toriel saved me from Flowey, I couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with the Underground. I thought negatively instead of being more intrigued._

"Did Chara approach you too?" Alice asked.

Frisk remained silent for a few moments. Without an expression to see or judge, Alice couldn't really imagine why he was being silent. Perhaps he was ashamed of being approached by him or was it something else that Alice didn't imagine. Chara was an entity of manipulation, negativity, and harm in her eyes. It would seem plausible they would've sought the Underground's fall even back then. Alice also realized Frisk had described the same things that had happened to Alice when she had arrived, being saved by Toriel. Normally such an exact recurrence of the same event would seem unnerving but with what Sans said about RESETS it made some sense. _If this timeline had been reset with me in Frisk's place then it would easily explain why no one recalled Frisk or why these events reoccur,_ Alice summarized. When Frisk finally spoke again, Alice couldn't fathom what he just said.

 _Chara wasn't like what they were now when I first met them. Rather I didn't even notice them, they were just narrating my journey. They informed me of the details and context of the monsters, objects, and places I encountered. They weren't in the position to inflict any harm and didn't even hold any intent to harm. They were an ally..._

"... What? I mean… how is that possible? Chara's been so dreadful to me! And they openly stated an intense desire to harm and murder both humanity and monsters." Alice used hand gestures to thoroughly express her disbelief.

 _It'll become clearer if I continue my story. Things you might've thought as you endured the Underground are always bound to change. That was the lesson I learned. Snowdin, Waterfall, Hotland… I traveled through all those places after sparing Toriel. At that point I was very familiar with the six souls and the Barrier and the monsters seeking freedom. I held the same standard as you did, I didn't want anyone to die carelessly. Even if maybe I felt like dying once or twice on the surface, something about the monsters gave me purpose. I will confirm though that some things were different from your run. Firstly. I never quite befriended Napstablook to the extent you have._ Frisk kept going on with his story before sounding strangely playful.

"To the extent I have? W-what's that supposed to mean…?" Alice asked, strangely flustered.

 _He didn't follow me entirely through the Ruins up to Toriel's house for example. But that was just to make sure you were still paying attention._ Alice was sure if she could've seen Frisk's expression it would've been winking.

"I'm a very avid listener to stories. I didn't need to be teased about my one of my most treasured friendships down here. What other differences were there Frisk?" Alice huffed slightly but still sounded eager for more information.

 _The MTT Resort dinner date was significantly different. Sans didn't confront me on anything more than just I would've been dead had Toriel not made that promise. Here you were confronted on causing me to disappear on the RESET and also about hiding knowledge of previously meeting someone unknown and your true motives. The fact yours was so distinct makes me sure that some special circumstances beyond you just finding another passage into the Underground exist. The difference in time is confirmation enough. Thirdly, I didn't quite possess the same powers you did, I had to endure and escape and spare with concentrated effort and evasiveness. Summoning creatures of DETERMINATION was not one of my talents._ Frisk elaborated.

"..." Alice felt slightly down.

From the sounds of it, part of her interactions had been sabotaged. Surely had she been in Frisk's shoes, she would've been more trusted by Sans right? And what exactly were these 'special circumstances'? As much as she hated thinking about it, Alphys had stated 'Alice' was a fictional character in a modern-day novel with Wonderland and everything being a real concept and not just something private. Reassuringly, she had also said that Alice herself was still a real-life human girl who had expressed traits that inspired that fictional character. Was that some kind of correlation to ending up in this strange land in the future? _I fear I may never find out at this rate,_ Alice thought glumly as she knew there were much more important objectives to solve. Frisk seemed to sense that Alice was reflecting on this idea, perhaps due to sharing Alice's mind at the moment, and kept going,

 _Fourth, many of our reactions and interactions were different in regards to the monsters and scenarios we encountered. Mettaton's play, this New Home, me winning and you losing to Papyrus initially, how you retaliated against Alphys, you encountering So Sorry and I not, it was bound to happen. The final difference of note was that I didn't have as many dreams as you did, I did share the dream about ASRIEL but there was no Undyne armor there. Something tells me this could be some side effect from the mixture of imagination and DETERMINATION. I do think your dreams have provided vital clues and could be the key to finding another way out of the Underground as well as warnings of what not to do._

"So those dreams weren't just nightmares then. I could gather they were important from details and the words being said within them but I wasn't fully sure of their nature. I'm prone to fantastical dreams after all." Alice put her hand to her chin and a finger to her cheek in thought.

 _So this path ultimately led me beyond New Home. I can't quite say I was as distraught as you were and offering to sacrifice myself, but I certainly was glum to hear what had happened. Even Chara vaguely seemed quite pained when he was explaining some of the things around the room to me-_

"Forgive my interruption but I needed to ask. Were you sparing monsters like I was on this journey? And you keep supporting this idea Chara was merely a narrator originally, did you serve that role to me instead?" Alice felt the need to address this.

 _Y-yes… yes I did. Both to showing mercy and to being your narrator and guide. With your reasoning though, most of my narrating wasn't as needed since you figured out things quickly. The names and details were provided by me. Anyways, what happened after New Home was that I met Sans again and he praised me for being a Pacifist. He also explained something to you that Flowey attempted to twist when you first encountered him. While I can't say that'll happen exactly the same this time around for you, that part should still occur since you have been a pacifist…_ Frisk sounded extremely on edge and it made Alice nervous.

"D-do you think he's going to confront me…? Like… physically?" Alice asked.

 _Regrettably yes… he's far more paranoid here than at any point I encountered him. The mystery and fantasy surrounding you is too big of a risk and at most you would merely be attacked in revenge for what happened to me. B-but please let me finish… this is becoming harder and harder the more we stray from the topic._ Frisk attempted to assert himself.

"Sorry…" Alice apologized meekly.

 _So at that point I made my way to King Asgore. We fought to a standstill, and I do mean fought. Asgore will not accept pacifism, rightfully so in fact. Then… things went incredibly awry…_ Frisk trailed off into silence.

"Awry…? Y-you didn't kill him did you?!" Alice exclaimed in panic.

 _No. It was out of my control… but I don't know what might happen with that this time around so please don't worry. I promise to guide you safely from here to the freedom of the Underground Alice but… there are some things in the meantime that are better off not knowing._

"... Like knowing someone has to die or else nobody becomes freed from this place…" Alice said in empathy, recalling Alphys's bombshell.

 _Precisely. I can safely say too that at that point, the story ended. Nobody was freed. It was not a happy ending. So I RESET the timeline. I felt I needed to find some more clues that I had missed on my first run._

Alice was stunned. So Frisk hadn't died then and there? Somehow that did give Alice some relief in regards to her own Pacifist approach but then when had he died? What had happened beyond Asgore's death that nobody was freed? Why was this the 'first' run? How many where there? And the idea that he had actually RESET the knowledge of everyone knowing him, back to the beginning, friendships reverted to acquaintances… it was very depressing. Also it seemed apparent that if Frisk had done it, she could very well do the RESET herself. But why would she do that…? Frisk answered that for her,

 _You don't have to necessarily RESET to the very beginning of falling into the Underground Alice. Sometimes you can RESET to the last resting point before say, you fight Asgore. That's one of the benefits to doing so as it can allow you to specifically pinpoint a place to start fixing mistakes and you don't lose any relationships._

"Oh. That's strangely convenient. I see though, surely then you were able to save Asgore on the second run right?" Alice asked with some newfound hope.

 _Well before Asgore there were a few loose threads I had to tie up. Ironically, both of us didn't think to go see Undyne when Papyrus made that offer to us._ Frisk chuckled.

' _HEY! WHAT'S UP ALICE!? I WAS JUST THINKING! YOU, ME, AND UNDYNE SHOULD ALL HANG OUT SOMETIME! I THINK YOU WOULD MAKE GREAT PALS! LET'S MEET UP AT HER HOUSE LATER!'_

"Oh… you're right. He was deathly serious about it as well but I was so far along on my journey and Undyne had been so… unfavorable about me that I didn't think it'd be a wise idea to attend." Alice admitted, rubbing her left arm insecurely.

 _Well you should definitely go see her on the second run. I don't want to spoil the fun but it'll get 'heated' if you know what I mean._ Frisk emphasized 'heated' the same way Sans would emphasize a pun.

"I can't quite decide if that's reassuring or not." Alice said flatly.

 _Only an attempt to lighten the mood._ Frisk sighed before continuing. _After visiting Undyne she'll ask you to send a letter to Alphys and then you end up accompanying her to the junkyard to an intimate get together. After that though, something strange happens… You get a phone call from Papyrus… It goes 'HOWDY! IF IT ISN'T MY GOOD FRIEND, WHO TRUSTS ME. THIS IS PAPYRUS. YOUR ALSO MUTUAL FRIEND.' And leads into, 'I FEEL STRONGLY AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON. YOU SHOULD ALSO GO… THERE. TO HER. LAB… HOUSE.'_

"... Howdy…" Alice could instantly recognize why this call troubled Frisk and also why he felt he needed to warn her of this.

'Howdy' was not only Flowey's greeting but it had been in New Home as well in the instructions about where to find things… it was clearly something tied with the royal family and something about Papyrus using that greeting as well as the forced-sounding word choice he was using clearly implied he was being instructed to tell Frisk these directions. It even sounded just like when Papyrus was trying to gather information on Alice's appearance for Undyne during the Waterfall hunt. Papyrus was too honest and sweet, it was a positive trait, so whenever he had tried to be sneaky it obviously gave away that there was something else going on. At this point it was much more of a strength for Alice than a weakness as it allowed her to decipher the people trying to plot against her. Clearly Frisk had figured that out too.

 _Yes, I strongly suspect Flowey was with Papyrus at that time and told him to go see Alphys's lab. I suspected danger but when I got there it seemed fine. There was another note on the ground… it was telling me to go find out something that Alphys did by going into a new opened room in the north. It was an elevator._ He said.

"Wait. I do think it was Flowey who was instructing Papyrus but how would he know about Alphys's lab? He's a flower, he can't exactly teleport to someplace with metal flooring right and hot conditions? I mean I haven't even seen him since I left the Ruins…" Alice pointed out.

Frisk assumed silence again but this time Alice could hear him breathing. It seemed he was very tense or scared. Clearly something about this lab encounter had greatly spooked him if he was warning Alice about it and hesitating to answer.

…Y-you're right… that is very strange… s-still, I went down the elevator. What I found there was…. TRAUMATIZING. Frisk spoke with clear fear and emotion.

"That bad?" Alice asked in surprise.

 _At that point I had understood the plight of the monsters, I understood their hopes and dreams… I could see their joys in life and each other… I could see what being imprisoned any longer would do to them… b-b-but what I found there… i-in that lab... disillusioned me and Chara. We saw a side to the monsters that was horrific, inhumane, and cruel…A-Alphys was the catalyst to something that I thought humans were only capable of… beginning with a cover-up._ Frisk seemed to be trying to remain composed but it was clear he was still shocked and disgusted with what he had seen. What was even more startling was that it seemed he too had a very skewed opinion of Alphys much like she did.

"A cover-up…? Does it have anything to do with the letters perhaps…? Or her fabrication of human history?" Alice asked.

 _The letters y-yes… but ultimately… I just couldn't cement the idea of freeing the monsters just yet…. Not even remotely… it was the most repulsive thing I-I'd ever seen... I did a full RESET._ Frisk dropped a very explosive detail that made Alice's eyes widen.

"What? B-but from the sounds of it you were on the right track to finding another way! How could you just give up like that…?!" She demanded, standing up in some quickly-growing fury.

… _Alice, recall that Bratty and Catty were eager for the destruction of humanity. They said that to me as well. Even though I related somewhat since I've never had a positive impression of humanity, I remained determined in the first run. I thought that these monsters were individuals too who had been trapped for far too long… even before I found out about Asriel. When I saw what was at that Lab… it occurred to me that he who fights monsters, becomes a monster. The monsters of the Underground have an INSIDIOUS side to them… and I felt that what I saw at the Lab justified that, maybe it was too hasty to free them. If they were to be released without having learned from their mistakes and atoning for their sins, they would make the same mistakes and sins… also their sins would be exposed for all to see and what would happen then…?_ Frisk explained.

Alice couldn't deny that she recalled feeling very furious when hearing them eagerly express excitement for something as cruel as murdering an entire species out of revenge. So Frisk was saying he had found a motive to keep that from happening and changed his mind on trying to free them. Indeed, if the monsters were still intent on doing something as ignorant and reckless as trying to exact vengeance on the humans, then Alice would have no part in it whatsoever. Perhaps this was another reason he fought so strongly for her not to sacrifice herself, she didn't know every single fact about the Monsters. While she had learned their greatest sorrow, it sounded as though Frisk had learned their greatest sin. Apparently it was a sin so bad that should humanity learn about it, there was no telling what might happen. Yet she couldn't help but wonder what could be that bad…

"I-I feel I understand you somewhat… you're saying they could've done something cruel and reckless had they been freed after what you discovered. But still, was it really right to just stop there? And if you knew Flowey directed you there, couldn't that have been a trap?" Alice offered.

… _Looking back on it now, perhaps you are right. You are a much more positive person than I am Alice. My time was filled with many things that could make people paranoid or rash or ignorant or depressed… and I myself had a life that was rough. I felt I was the best judge of everyone, the decider… and these monsters were also wanting with all their heart for me to decide their destiny. For a moment, back at that first flower patch, I was broken, grabbing the flowers and sobbing… Chara there, watching. I felt betrayed and trapped, realizing that while I had been given a new life, the pain was only enhanced. The Underground is… hell. Hell for me and for monsters but they are the ones who rule it. Unlike you, I wasn't curious for knowledge and nonsense, I was desperate to get away from it all._

"..." Alice winced.

She suddenly realized that while he was giving her this grim, depressing outlook on his experiences, he was also pointing out how different they were. She was positive and imaginative and curious, he hadn't been when he was the one choosing to spare. Something he encountered broke his spirits and made him feel as though he had only found a worse version of what he was trying to escape from on the surface. Yet he wasn't saying it would break her were she to have encountered it. Hearing someone who had probably been her age talking about such a terrible experience and negative perspective made her realize this journey WAS hard. Even assuming it was anything like Wonderland was terribly inaccurate to the complexities that the Underground had. Yet here Alice was, and here Frisk was urging her to find another way while warning her about what might break her just like New Home nearly did. At least that was the interpretation she was taking.

"T-thank you for warning me about all this Frisk. I… I can't say what might happen when I encounter that lab but I'll try to remain patient, even though I feel Alphys is quite despicable sometimes." Alice said in an attempt to support him.

 _Oh… I-I'm sorry… I think I got a bit too heated. I don't want you to worry about the future, I need you to worry about the now. Right now you need to be 100% focused or else you might fail. I should be telling you my story, not trying to get you to believe what I once was believed._ Frisk apologized for going into so much detail. Perhaps in his descriptions of his story, he had started ranting and lamenting what had gone through his head at the time. It was a way to express some of the pain he had been feeling. It reminded Alice of…

' _You must know that things aren't what they seem! Why is a raven like a writing desk?! Is there or is there not another way?! What will break the Barrier once and for all in the end?! You have to answer this world's ultimate riddle yourself Alice!'_

The other 'Alice'. Alice suddenly felt petrified.

"Frisk… what did you do after you RESET the timeline?" Alice asked.

… _I killed Alphys._ Frisk answered bluntly without any attempt to deceive.

"... You went through everything again just to do that?" Alice asked confused but no less shocked.

 _My idea was to look over everything one more time, decide what was justified and what should be done. Maybe a majority of the monsters did deserve to be freed… but not Alphys. Alphys had sinned too deeply. I waited until after the Mettaton encounter, when he was powered down and she alone, and I slew her. She dissolved into dust, I did everything else the same. I did notice that some of the monsters had a vague sense that I was acting as though I had reacted to some of their questions or appearances before. I thought that may have been some kind of hint. I also tried to warn Asgore that there may have been something out for his life. He died as well. Something shocking happened. There was a grimmer sense of despair and the monsters had lost their hope because of Alphys's absence. They were seeking a new Royal Scientist._ Frisk told a story that was honestly a bit confusing.

"I don't understand though, did you really think it was right to kill someone even if it was Alphys? That's a sin in itself!" Alice exclaimed.

 _They wanted me to decide their fate, so I decided it was time for them to decide how I figured out that fate. I was numb and depressed, tired and scared, rattled and probably mentally unsound. I didn't think about the consequences of my actions anymore, only how I could experiment different ways of seeing how the monsters reacted and if they would expose anymore clues. What happened to Chara was… I was sharing with them all my negativity and influencing them. They were probably very stunned at what was happening and trying to make sense of it. Their last living moments in life were a sickly, slow death with a wish going unfulfilled after all. I RESET the timeline again. The fourth one._

Alice was beginning to see where the self-loathing was coming in. He was clearly reformed if he was with Alice now and helping her to survive but this past version of himself sounded positively monstrous, someone acting as though he was like Flowey. In truth, Alice probably should've been more scared of this individual and his past actions. Yet she felt what Frisk was doing now was to scare her from going down the dark path of no mercy. Even 'Alice' from her dreams seemed to have been wanting that for Alice all along. _It seems to be working quite well,_ Alice thought. Although she had to admit in her heart this it was still disturbing to realize that several timelines had passed before she came in and that these events were real.

 _At this point in time, I decided to use my curiousity in a much darker way you ever did. I confronted Toriel about her position as queen, determined to get her to spill what she knew. Toriel was simply stunned by my confrontation and annoyingly didn't spill any of the beans. I knew I was right though, I figured that as the mother figure that she had always seemed to be in the Underground, she would support me. Me, the child who wanted to find a way to free her. She didn't and insisted on trying to keep me from leaving. This time, I slew her, feeling she was trying to decieve me even when I knew my intentions were honest and noble. Chara started to break at that point, having lost a mother figure in their life. I didn't realize what effect that would have on them later_. Frisk admitted.

Alice clenched her skirt tightly. Something about murdering Toriel just seemed entirely unforgivable to her. Yet he did bring up something curious.

"What do you mean Chara was breaking?" She asked.

 _By taking such drastic actions, I was filling their head with reasons why I took such actions, misguided as they definitely were. At the time, I was implying I was murdering Toriel to display superiority, to gain power. Chara didn't know any better. They were strangely innocent from the start._

"*Sigh* I think you really had ought to have stopped once you realized murdering Alphys only made the situation worse. Instead you chose to kill Toriel, someone sweet-hearted and earnest and who saved your life three times! Who gave you a slice of delicious pie three times!" Alice lost some of her patience and attacked Frisk verbally.

 _You're right to be furious at me. I was on a dark path, my mind was clouded in darkness, trying to take advantage of what I knew to get any information that could lead into another way out. I over-thought it you might say. I didn't kill any regular monsters, I was only after the most important ones. I spared Sans and Papyrus but this time I told Undyne and Sans what I knew about Alphys, what she had been hiding there in her lab. Sans was stunned and Undyne was furiously in denial. Despite this, nothing changed up until the restaurant. Sans had brought Undyne and Alphys there too, it seemed he wanted to lay things out on the table regarding the discovery in the lab. Alphys was horrified and distraught as Sans demanded her next move and why she had hidden them away._ Frisk almost seemed to be recounting this story as though it were some case file.

"Them?" Alice's eyes perked up at the pronoun.

Unfortunately Frisk did not go into detail on this. Alice bit her lip in frustration but had to concede with hearing what Frisk specifically wanted her to listen to.

 _Undyne kept defending Alphys blindly, those two are more than friends really… Ultimately I was furious and accused both of them of directly hindering the progress of freeing the monsters for selfish pride. At that point Undyne attempted to kill me but Sans suddenly showed… immense power and stopped her in her tracks. Sans said he had made a promise to keep me safe, a promise with Toriel, and that I wanted to free everyone without taking any lives. I used that opportunity… to drop the bombshell Toriel was dead and murdered Undyne while Sans and Alphys were stunned. I wanted Alphys to cooperate for once, stop Mettaton's stupid game, and possibly admit she did know of another way to break the barrier… Losing her guardian angel was bound to do that but then Sans killed me instantly much like how you were in your dream. Timeline number five began..._

"I-I'm starting to sympathize more with Alphys now…" Alice put a hand to her head, falling back onto the ground to sit down.

It was truly sickening to think that prior to her arrival, Alphys's life and even morals were compromised publicly. Nobody deserved to be publicly shamed and tried like that, particularly since she recalled the Queen of Heart's trial that was blatantly unfair and degrading. It was also shocking to imagine that Sans, who clearly remembered and recognized the RESETS, had taken part in such a fiery confrontation with Undyne of all people. He had even seemed to side with Frisk against Alphys for her deceit. _I wonder if that's why he's so furious at me for appearing as though I'm lying about my situation,_ Alice wondered. But then she remembered she HAD lied about seeing Chara to him so he was rightfully justified for being mad at her. Coming clean about that to him still seemed much too risky, especially if she was set for a confrontation with him anyway.

 _Fortunately for her I decided to give up on her in the fifth timeline. I figured she was clearly in a position where she couldn't help no matter what to break the Barrier within the time frame between falling into the Underground and Asgore's destined death. Even trying to fish information out of her through someone like Mettaton seemed impossible because of the game she set up to make her seem more important and cool. I had spared Toriel beforehand in this timeline, and Flowey called me out on playing God. He seemed to also have some knowledge of RESETS but based on the limited encounters I had with him it seemed useless to try to probe him for information. Instead I realized that Sans seemed to be particularly prophetic this time, he actually dropped hints in Snowdin about what happened last timeline. He warned me to not lose my way again and to 'play along' with Papyrus._ Frisk spoke the last line with a particular bitterness.

"That's certainly a recurring theme of his." Alice recalled the several threats Sans had made towards her.

 _It irritated me that he seemed to not give a damn about what I was trying through several timelines to do and instead was concerned about me 'losing my way'. I started really losing my patience and sanity at that point, frustrated nobody seemed to care, appreciate, or even want my ideas to a better a solution. Sans knew more than he was letting on so I decided to focus on him this time timeline… the only monster I killed was Papyrus._

"K-killed… Papyrus…? But why? He's the most innocent-"

 _I know that now Alice! Everything I've done, I've regretted. Dying was a just punishment for all my sins and I won't be surprised if I end up in hell for what I've done. At the time though… I thought maybe if he lost his brother, Sans would cooperate with my ideas and share with me his knowledge… that was my twisted sense of curiousity. In that display of power, Chara finally started to adopt my mentality, he became corrupted. His thought process and DETERMINATION for me became the will to 'kill or be killed.' When I spared every monster and arrived at this point, the point you yourself are about to reach, Sans judged me like he had done the first and the third time._ Frisk interrupted Alice to emphasize his own sense of guilt.

"Judge me…? On what exactly?" Alice asked, trying to put her mind off the tragic thought of Papyrus turning into dust.

… _Your sense of MERCY really. Sans was not amused by what I did, calling me a 'dirty brother killer'. At that point I snapped at him, demanding that if he wanted to avenge his brother, he should be telling me what he knows about the Underground and about SOULS and about ways of breaking the BARRIER. Sans said I wasn't showing much of a mindset to break it anymore, saying I was having too much fun toying with the monsters and the Underground. That I went so far as to only kill his brother this time around felt like a taunt to him and he said even if he did know something about breaking the Barrier, there was no way he was letting someone who would show no mercy to the most innocent and wonderful brother in the world go free. It… was a very accurate assessment at the time. I should've listened…_ Frisk sighed sadly.

"Before you finish your story, I must ask. How can I trust you to not turn your back on me after you've admitted to killing several monsters and repeating the events of this place for such a misguided purpose? Yes you've helped me and saved me several times but I don't know if I can feel comfortable within the presence of someone who did not show mercy." Alice critiqued Frisk.

 _Because seeing this Underground from your eyes and seeing how you also have experienced a scenario that some might argue was worse than mine but yet hold no bitterness or negativity about it gave me hope. I… I want to see you succeed Alice… If my efforts failed, which they did and miserably, then I want to see you excel and free the Underground without a life being taken…_ Frisk praised her.

In truth, had her sister been present, Alice knew that Frisk would've been turned away and subject to being arrested for Alice's safety. But in this world of several attempted murders made on her life and an excruciating amount of death and sorrow, sometimes you had to let things go. If someone was willing to change themselves, learn their lesson, and become your friend then even if they had done something harsh or violent, they could be given a second chance. Frisk in particular was someone she had just now met and was learning about and she felt that if this were a meeting in the real world, she'd want to stay by his side and make him feel better about things. It seemed wrong to entirely condemn someone who made poor decisions in the past but genuinely regretted them and wanted to change. So Alice was willing to give Frisk mercy in regards to his actions.

"I'll do my best to excel under your guidance and support. So what happened next...?" Alice took a deep breath in between her promise and her question.

 _...I RESET again… the sixth and most brutal timeline. This time I murdered everyone in my way. I lost it. I lost hope. I lost DETERMINATION. I was driven to show no mercy to these monsters who I believed were incapable of showing mercy themselves. It was a genocide. At that point Chara became the Chara you know today, the demon that appears when people call its name. I… was unforgivable…_ Frisk sounded as though he was struggling to choke out the words that held great brutality.

"..." Alice held her hands to her heart.

 _I confronted Sans at the chapel. He wasn't going to let me pass this time because I failed the Judgement. He told me… I was going to have a bad time… and I did… his power was insane, I died and returned countless times… I was reckless, I was suffering, and time after time I started realizing there was a sort of futility to my actions. How could I find another way if I was sealing away all possible paths? How could I even consider myself a savior after toying with time and taking away so many lives? Sans pleaded with me after I somehow managed to last… no, survive his barrage of attacks. He told me there was a glimmer of a good person in me… I always thought of myself as an ok person, just not having a very good life… and ultimately it came down to the point he was willing to SPARE me. Him… sparing me... after all I did… I choked up. I regained some sensibility and I thought… maybe this wasn't meant for me. Maybe somebody else is destined to save the Underground…_

"And then you were killed correct?"

 _Sans told me when I agreed to spare him that he know how hard it must be. To make that decision. He was fully intent on killing me, not out of malice but out of mercy. He wanted me to RESET the timeline and start making things right. I don't think he suspected I might've just wanted to rest forever… or let someone else try. He told me to 'c'mere, pal'... I hugged him and the last I remember was being pierced by bones… I died... Next thing I know I'm in this state... But now my SOUL can't be used to break the BARRIER. When a human dies, their SOUL lingers and can be absorbed by a monster within moments of it being released. But with this RESET, it's the other way around. My SOUL is in an incomplete state from having been forcibly separated from by body and warped by 'special circumstances'. Only with you do I have some completeness and as soon as I am removed from you, iI'll go back to my original weak state.._ Frisk finished his story though it was much easier for Alice to bear than the last story she heard.

"That is a very sad story." She said, shaking her head wearily.

 _Ah, but there is a moral to it._ Frisk said, trying to share Alice's positivity.

"... Yes, yes there is a very good moral to it as well. I mean, I suppose had I listened to Chara I would've more than likely just been repeating your mistakes. It seemed easier as well than sparing monsters but Toriel reminded me so much of my sister. I felt her advice was trustworthy and her intentions pure. I wanted to listen and follow her advice most of all, that's what's gotten me here." Alice giggled slightly.

 _Shame we journeyed so differently then. I followed Toriel's advice initially but then lost faith in her and all of the monsters. You're still on the first journey, you have a chance. That's why I'm going to aid you to the best of my abilities Alice. I believe you are that child who can finish what I couldn't. I also believe… maybe you could do something about the others who need to be SAVED._

"... The others? Do you mean Chara?" Alice raised an eyebrow at the cryptic words.

… _I don't think they are incapable of change. I think if we encounter Chara again, there can be a chance to get through to them._ Frisk explained.

 _That's a definite maybe for the moment,_ Alice thought. She had no desire to see that ruthless being again even if Frisk and Asriel seemed to have known them as someone much more admirable before things went south. It occurred to Alice there was one more thing she needed to ask,

"Say, do you recall anything that happened after you died? You seemed intent on not RESETTING yourself but someone did it anyway. I mean that's what Sans suspects…" Alice asked.

Frisk was quiet for a few moments, presumably thinking very hard on this. But his reply came a bit empty-handed,

 _I don't. I know that Sans seemed to have taken a piece of fabric from my shirt but not much else… If I had to theorize, I think it had to do with Chara. Chara was urging me to fight and slay and slaughter Sans, the weakest monster in the Underground, but when Sans words got through to me, I ignored them completely. They might have come up with some sort of plan in the sake of revenge… my soul would've been available to have the total of seven souls needed to break the Barrier after all. It's also clear the barrier wasn't broken since nobody's freed and Sans didn't mention that happening._

"Perhaps it's because you slaughtered everyone that whoever RESET the timeline wanted there to be more monsters for a more positive future?" Alice asked curiously.

 _That or they weren't done with seeking power… Cause Flowey was still out there. Also if the timeline had truly RESET by my hand, I would've been alive again and back within my body but for some reason I'm but an incomplete SOUL and you are here in my place. It's clear someone used the seven SOULS of the previous timeline to make this seventh timeline different from the others._ Frisk theorized.

"Maybe they hid your body someplace to keep the SOUL from returning and to weaken it? Although that doesn't explain how I was brought here from a different time period altogether…"

 _Seven human SOULS could give a monster godlike power. Anything would be possible by then… you raise a good point on that we don't know exactly who and why you were summoned here but it was definitely possible in terms of the powers available. I think the last timeline continued for a bit longer after I died before things RESET to this current seventh timeline. Sans should know more honestly if we can ask him but… I'm afraid that because this timeline is so different and he was fully counting on me to return and redeem myself and make things right, he sees you as a wild card. Worse, he doesn't have the best impression of you through your outspoken moments and inquisitive observations._

"Would he rather me be someone as ditzy and nonsensical as the Temmies?" Alice showed sarcasm and scoffed at this.

… _I don't know. Ultimately we can clear things up for the better by facing his judgement. But I must warn you in advance, it might not be as welcoming or as calm and civilized as the ones I've been through. It'll probably be more akin to my last one. I should be able to help you through it and I also know that you have the means to prove your innocence to him. Please promise me you won't lose your DETERMINATION._ Frisk was being supportive but also reiterating his solemn warning.

"... I will not give in to despair anymore. If this Barrier is to break, I will break it with the way that ensures everyone can live!" To emphasize this point, she took the Worn Dagger and tossed it as far as she could towards the buildings and landscape down below.

Frisk did not reply but the sense of warmth within Alice and the fact her mind felt free and focused again was enough of an answer to herself. She WAS going to break the Barrier and free the Underground. She WOULD uphold Toriel's teachings till the very end. She WAS going to survive… and her sister and Dinah would be so proud. Alice knew there was but one pathway left for her to go. The elevator would likely take her down somewhere other than to where King ASGORE was, more than likely it was the broken one at the MTT Resort. With no more doubts and regrets, with the past and the present backing her and the future in her reach, Alice entered the Last Corridor. She was stunned by its beauty, golden walls with grecian columns and a golden and tan checkered tiled floor. It was almost as though she entered some grand cathedral as gargantuan stained glass windows unveiled heavenly rays of light into the room. The Delta Rune could be visibly seen imprinted on the stained glass windows as a design. Some areas of the corridor were eclipsed in shadow and there was also a sense of familiarity to this place that made it nerve-wracking to be in. It was also daunting in the sense that it was likely the last area before she reached what would most likely be a throne room and the atmosphere held such sacredness that it made her wonder if she should've entered on her knees or crawling.

"I wonder if Asriel once was here…" Alice pondered as something about the holy atmosphere of this place made her want to pay her respects.

However the respects would have to wait. A figure in shadow was standing in the middle of the corridor and yet Alice knew from its shape that it was Sans. So approaching him and seeing his expression merely served as confirmation. Bells started to ring from outside, loudly and gloriously. It was far more than just a simple school bell this time to Alice. It was almost as though it was hailing the king's arrival himself. For a moment Alice wondered if that truly was the case despite Frisk's recounting of the judgement but it was quickly dashed. Sans began to speak,

"So you finally made it. The end of your journey is at hand. In a few moments, you will meet the king. Together… You will determine the future of this world. That's then. Now. You will be judged. You will be judged for your every action. You will be judged for every EXP you've earned. What's EXP? It's an acronym. It stands for ' **execution points'**. A way of quantifying the pain you have inflicted on others. When you kill someone, your EXP increases. When you have enough EXP, your LOVE increases. LOVE, too, is an acronym. It stands for ' **Level of Violence'**. A way of measuring someone's capacity to hurt. The more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself. The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt. The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others."

Alice didn't dare speak back yet. A true judgement was the same as an evaluation, you waited until the authority figure finished their every word. Alice was stunned though to notice Flowey's terminology was uncovered and exposed to be an attempt to get her to murder under a misleading acronym. He had not mentioned 'EXP' but he had most certainly mentioned 'LOVE'. It was a lure to get her to believe violence was the answer. _Although wouldn't his subsequent assault on me dissuade me from thinking violence was the answer?_ Alice wondered curiously. Maybe he was so certain of implying this world was 'kill or be killed' that Alice would take that 'LOVE' metaphor and twist it for herself. After all Sans said the more you kill and hurt, the less vulnerable and weak-willed you become. It was probably what happened to Frisk as well, even just merely killing people would cause him to think less sympathetically towards others. It was especially sad imagining he had heard all that good advice and still succumbed to despair because of something at Alphys's lab he had seen…

"... but you. you never gained any LOVE. 'course, that doesn't mean you're completely innocent or naive. just that you kept a certain tenderness in your heart. no matter the struggles or hardships you faced… you strived to do the right thing. you refused to hurt anyone. even when you ran away, you did it with a smile. you never gained LOVE, but you gained love. … Was what you expected to hear right?" After some flowering compliments, Sans suddenly sent a large barb towards Alice's way.

"... I'm being judged Sans. I don't precisely expect anything but the truth." Alice confessed honestly.

Instantly the sense of sacredness was defiled by a dreadful tension. Something about it reminded of the howling winds of Waterfall when she was about to fight Undyne and it was not comforting. Sans was eyeing Alice with a smile but not much else. If anything he was still harboring some bitter feelings from the MTT Resort encounter and like Frisk said, much of his expression and tone betrayed a sense of paranoia.

"The truth… you can't seem to tell it yourself. It's like you're full of malice Alice. You did meet someone in those RUINS and I think it's safe to say you are holding onto them like they are a pet." Sans folded his arms.

 _Come to think of it,_ Alice realized, _maybe he didn't mean Chara but rather Frisk all along in terms of who he suspected I met._ It certainly made some more sense of why Sans was being so hostile. Chara was relatively mysterious… or at least there was no way of knowing about them being a spirit at any previous point in time. Sans only knew Frisk and he only knew that Alice came out of the Ruins to greet him instead of Frisk. Where did Frisk go? Who was this strange little girl? Considering Sans had a brother to protect and had seen die twice, it made sense for him to be like this in her eyes. The real question was whether she should admit the truth or not…

"I… I didn't meet anyone then. But I did meet them earlier… they told me everything they knew. About the previous six timelines…" Alice felt somewhat sick after stating that fact.

"... Ah. So you wisened up. That person you met was supposed to be the one standing here. So what did you do to get into this timeline? Murder? Espionage? Or are you seriously going to claim that you fell down the rabbit hole and didn't see anyone else even though they should still be here?" Sans taunted her rather harshly.

"... I beg your pardon?"

"I know now… you're a fairy tale character. you are some little girl who made a fantasy world and lived it out in a dream. thing is, fairy tales are fictional. yet here you are. you aren't who you say you are. you could be a dirty brother killer. you could be someone tricking us. you could be someone's pawn… and above all you could be someone who won't set us free and will make us suffer over and over again until you are satisfied with your 'curiousity'. Even though there should be seven souls for us to use now." Sans pupil's disappeared.

Frisk was right, Sans had probably anticipated Frisk to come back and make things right in this timeline. Something unexpected happened and Frisk wound up not coming back. Alice did instead. A newcomer for the first time. He had no idea if they were merciful or merciless and they already seemed to have existed in a format that made absolutely no sense. And after six timelines of a twisted mind game of seeing Frisk be on the right track from the sounds of it and then turning back, Sans was losing his patience. It was the kind of thing that couldn't really been argued at this point, in fact it was ironic. He was acting much like Toriel. Toriel who would not yield Alice's freedom until Alice strained herself and pleaded to be released from the Ruins, showing MERCY in the process. Sans was the same, he felt that Alice couldn't be trusted and that something was fishy and it'd be too risky to let her keep going. Still, Alice wanted more confirmation.

"What… do you intend to do…?" Alice was sweating despite trying to think calmly.

"... kid, no… alice. i think you're going to have to return back to your pages… i'm going to make certain that when the timeline RESETS that this'll be the last one. you won't get to manipulate us, get us thinking we'll finally be free, only for you and your puppetmaster to end this world again… i'm not letting my brother go through that… i'm not going to take that chance… you don't have the determination to save us…" Surprisingly, Sans voice broke, he sounded genuinely upset.

"Sans, I can save us… I swear I am not under any spell, I do not know myself how I came here other than I fell down the rabbit hole, and I may have made mistakes here but everyone does. I know your sad past, Asriel… Chara… this terrible spree of human's dying down here. I refuse to let any of this misery continue. I promise that I won't harm the king, I'll speak to him. We won't let another person die…" Alice stepped forward bravely and looked Sans straight in the eye.

"... are you even a person though?" Sans asked.

"I bleed and feel emotions like any other person." Alice nodded.

Sans looked down. The pain of six timelines past was riddled all over his face and body language. There was also the promise he had made to Toriel, and Alice saw how pained that made him in that dream, Papyrus's grave probably had existed at some point. He couldn't directly intervene until pushed far enough when Frisk slaughtered the entire Underground. Here, he was expecting maybe Frisk learned his lesson and instead had to endure a stranger going on this journey who made mistakes that unnerved him enough to distrust them. In truth, maybe if Alice had been able to explain why and how she came here then there'd be no doubts in his mind. But Sans was the kind of person who sensed and acted upon doubts. He hated making promises because of it. Thus, the skeleton shook his head and faced Alice.

"I'm sorry. You're not going to see the King. I don't even believe you are real. Just an illusion who took the place of a kid who could've maybe saved us all. sorry, old lady. this is the second time i'm doing this..." Sans right eye sparked blue as he gave a small apology to Toriel.

Alice gulped. There was no turning back. This was for real, she was going to have to fight him. Even though she and Frisk felt confident of her innocence, and surely others like Papyrus and Napstablook did as well, Sans couldn't take any chances. Maybe that was the smart thing to do when the last timeline involved a massacre of your home and everyone you knew and loved. So Alice decided she wasn't going to hold it against Sans. She was instead going to need to prove herself against Sans.

'" _Prove to me you are strong enough to survive," Toriel spoke powerfully and turned to face Alice, her determination plain and clear on her face.'_

 _Prove to me you will save the Underground and not destroy it,_ Alice made an hypothesis in her mind of what Sans would've said to motivate herself. As she did so, something gold whirled around past her head in a graceful arc, before plopping onto the ground next to her. It was an exceedingly large top hat featured a band and a large tag of sorts that said '10/6'. Suddenly a pair of short, slender legs, clothed in long pants and fairly pointy leather shoes with socks walked over and reached to pick up the hat. As soon as they put it on, the full appearance of this figure was revealed. They wore a buttoned shirt and bowtie with a long-sleeved coat over it. They were half bald with the hat covering the bald spot and they were buck-toothed with thick eyebrows, a strong nose, high cheekbones, and small round eyes. Knowing now that this figure of DETERMINATION was Frisk, it was rather strange to imagine a young boy willingly becoming Alice's fabled characters from Wonderland. The gesture was certainly very nice and Alice knew she would need his assistance more than ever against Sans. Frisk, as the Mad Hatter, made a teacup and saucer appear in his right hand and held it up before bowing elegantly. He then smirked at Sans with a devilish confidence. Sans looked on with suspicion.

"there's that power-up again. the fact you can do things like that is suspicious enough. you are dangerous with that you know…" Sans made a reasonable point.

Alice felt there was no need to attempt confirming or denying his suspicions. Actions spoke louder than words this time. Sans seemed to sense this and actually looked a bit impressed. Perhaps he felt this was the first time Alice was being honest with him. Without giving anymore delay, he spoke to her with words that Alice was sure he had said before to someone else,

"it's a beautiful day outside. birds are singing, flowers are blooming… on days like these, kids like you… Should go back the way you came."

To Be Continued...


	31. River of Tears

Alice in Undertale Chapter 30

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 30 River of Tears

Alice was no trained combatant but even she had braced herself to be suddenly attacked by Sans the moment he had finished speaking those cold words. What she hadn't expected was to find herself suddenly flung backwards furiously, her body incapable of reacting in time, and crashing hard to the ground. She grunted as she took notice that her SOUL had turned BLUE, the same color and properties as Papyrus. _Like brother like colors,_ Alice thought as she struggled to get up. The moment she had barely gotten to her feet, a row of bones sprouted from beneath her and knocked her up into the air.

"Ahh!" She screamed.

While in mid-air she was able to spot two things. Sans moving his arms in the manner of a captain of the guard and the Mad Hatter looking over to her in fear before tossing his hat towards her. To Alice's surprise, the hat managed to grow to a size big enough to cover her inside it's golden sheen and that is precisely what it did, catching her like a butterfly to a net. Alice was relieved to have some moment of safety but she soon heard the sound of several rough things pounding against the hat. The hat appeared to be doubling as a barrier in this moment in time but the intensity of the sounds implied Sans was not going easy on her in the slightest. Proving her worth was the only way to get him to concede. The sound of a strange sort of discharge, like something out of a fantasy or a nightmare rang through the air and when Alice got to her feet and peeked over the hat, she saw something astounding. Several skeletal heads of varying sizes were firing ghostly white beams at the hat. Based on their shape and Alice would've theorized them to be some sort of dragon or lizard. They dispersed after their attacks had failed to penetrate the hat and the hat quickly landed back on the ground for Alice to gain her footing. It then promptly teleported and shrunk back to fit on the Mad Hatter's head.

"What were those things Sans…?" Alice asked, slightly terrified.

"still asking questions? huh. that's one thing i'll give you credit for alice. you are forward in conversation. it's a Gaster Blaster. always wondered why people wouldn't use their strongest attacks first." Sans temporarily gave up the menacing aura to give a jovial-sounding reply.

"Strongest attack?" Alice gulped.

She was starting to feel like she was going to have a bad time. From looking over him, Sans was the easiest enemy who could deal only one damage. Regardless of the damage, she was firmly aware Sans had much more devastating power than that. She quickly weighed in her options. Attacking Sans aggressively to destroy him would discredit everything she had done prior to now and break Papyrus's heart. Attacking Sans in defense seemed cowardly though could potentially allow her to read his moves better. A strong defense would also be deemed cowardly to anyone trained in combat (like Undyne with Alice running away from her) and not show adequate proof she wanted to save the monsters. By process of elimination, she couldn't run away either. Prior to the Underground, Alice would've likely been panicked at being thrust into this sort of thinking about battle tactics. In the present moment, she felt she had a fairly good idea of what the monsters desired from their combatants and how combatants tangled with the monsters. While she certainly didn't enjoy it, it gave her the confidence and DETERMINATION to keep pushing for the right result.

"Mr. Hatter! Let's begin!" Alice gave the Mad Hatter the go to begin.

Regardless of actually being Frisk, he didn't mind adopting Alice's beloved characters as it was when she harnessed her DETERMINATION the most and was at her strongest. Furthermore it had served well to hide his identity from those who would've most likely intervened negatively had they known he was following around the little girl. So as the Mad Hatter, he felt himself imbued with unique, new powers and a sense of justice and redemption that'd allow him to face Sans. While his last defeat ended with death, he was positive that Alice's match with Sans would turn out differently. He decided the best thing to do was to mount an offense to keep Sans from abusing the blue SOUL attacks that had given Alice the most trouble so far on the journey. So the Mad Hatter started by summoning a few golden tea party chairs from the sky, chairs that Alice had moved down several times as part of some game from what he could gather. They fell towards Sans, quick enough to be threatening but at the same time slow enough to keep Sans occupied. Sans was a bit startled by the attack but reacted accordingly by breaking through the chairs with concentrated Gaster Blaster blasts.

"i think i'd rather have you take a seat." Sans poked fun as he retaliated.

He turned Alice's SOUL BLUE and dragged her forward into a line of bones that surged towards her. Alice knew that she couldn't simply let herself be manipulated like a puppet nor let the Mad Hatter do all the work. She used the momentum of being pulled forward in a leap of faith that allowed her to go over the bones in question. The Mad Hatter charged forward at Sans at the same time, but was quickly knocked aside by another bone strike. Sans took the brief pause akin to being in the eye of the storm to speak,

"our reports showed a massive anomaly in the space time continuum. timelines jumping left and right, stopping and starting… until suddenly, everything ends."

"I'm afraid I myself am not responsible for that. I can't say I quite understand the logic of how that works." Alice replied as she noticed another set of oncoming bones.

This time she grew a golden mushroom of DETERMINATION and laid her tummy down on it as it grew just high enough to avoid an army of bones surging down the hall. It also allowed her to narrowly duck bones that seemed to hang upside down like chandeliers due to her reduced height.

"don't pass the blame, you know you are very capable of doing the same thing… and i can't let that happen. you can't understand how this feels."

"Regardless of it not happening to me personally I believe I know enough information to gather how it affects individuals. Sans I'm truly sorry something like this was thrust upon you and your brother. You shouldn't have to undergo a Cacus Race of repeated events." Alice shared her condolences with the skeleton.

"...it's still going to be reset… knowing that it can happen at any moment… that's the real hell alice. what was the worst thing you went through? nearly being beheaded?" Sans once again showed more knowledge about Wonderland than Alice was comfortable with.

By this point Sans had changed up his attacks into a tapestry of angled bones and surprising platforms. Alice had to adjust her mushroom very carefully to get through this attacks without a scratch but her mushroom was starting to get pierced and dented by all the bones it was blocking. To Alice's fortune, the Mad Hatter had once again recovered from the earlier strike and got behind Alice before suddenly conjuring an elaborate tablecloth that knocked away all the bones in a dramatic sweep. Alice had to admit there was a strange sort of beauty to this battle, as though it was orchestrated to a fine medley and artists had carefully arranged and timed each attack. Yet that was only a minor thought compared to having to answer Sans understandably sound words.

"... It's quite true that no lone death can measure to the potential of multiple deaths… but what of those who can't come back? Wouldn't you place our trust in someone that could keep their deaths from being in vain?!" Alice yelled.

In truth she had Asriel on her mind, Frisk, the six dead children, and slightly Chara as she declared this. She felt they were too young, too innocent, too undeserving of being killed for the different reasons that they were killed. Two of them were even accepted by the monsters and only died because of tragic causes while the others had been very bluntly murdered. Yet, even then, their deaths were understood by at least one side as the only hope to escape the Underground. Alice wanted to appease both sides, she wanted to free the monsters but also was hoping to give closure and redemption to the humans. This didn't seem to sit well with Sans who gave a disgruntled expression and suddenly summoned a Gaster Blaster.

"i gave up a long time ago after waiting alice... getting to the surface doesn't hold any joy or opportunities for me anymore… cause regardless of what you want, or what you claim, you're just a puppet alice. Do what you want and we'll still end up back here with no memories at all because you're not real!" He shouted with resentment and a tinge of despair.

The Gaster Blaster blasted the mushroom and Alice simultaneously, knocking the little girl off and crashing onto the ground again. It hurt quite badly, an indescribable feeling of the blast's contact ringing through Alice's muscles. She wasn't even sure how many more attacks of that caliber she could take. The Mad Hatter looked rather enraged by this and conjured a giant teapot with three spouts and a floral motif. It sputtered out a golden haze of steam at Sans that was harmless but would serve to cloud his vision. Sans flinched instinctively when the gold haze spread but was secretly relieved when it appeared to be harmless. The clear downside to this type of attack was that he couldn't see where the Mad Hatter had went off to. Yet for all his laziness, Sans was a sentry at heart and while he didn't care to show it, his physical capabilities were much more impressive than what one would assume. So that is why he was able to reflexively dodge a human-sized teacup of DETERMINATION.

"here's the real t, this ain't a tea party." Perhaps seeing the whimsy of Alice's fighting style was getting him in the mood to making puns.

"I-I am fully aware of that Sans… but I swear I can make my own choices now…!" Alice got up but didn't feel all that comfortable standing.

"alice... maybe if the situation was different and you had originally been here… we could've been friends in a different timeline. you've made my brother very happy. you have spared the monsters you've faced. i don't doubt you care about us either. but how can i trust you when there should've been someone else standing here instead of you? when you've lied? when you exist somewhere else?" Sans asked of her.

"Because I don't have 'somewhere else' to go to. Truthfully, should I never return home I'd hope to be able to find a new one here with all of you. I sympathize with what happened… there's things that we could all learn from what happened here, and if we were able to be free, we could work together to make a new life on the surface. There would be no more sacrifices."

As appalled at times she had been towards the monsters desire to harm humanity or violent tendencies or their destructive past, she felt they could learn. Wasn't making mistakes and correcting them with your own hands the sort of good advice anyone could use? Regardless of the Barrier's blockade, it also served to symbolize the monsters previous mindset that trapped them down here and continued to keep them down here for not learning from history. Yet the monsters now had an opportunity through Alice to overcome this, to be able to acknowledge and apply mercy. Yet as good as Alice's words sounded, Sans was resolute. He was resolute in his plan for Frisk to find the solution and way to break the Barrier and not murder anyone again. She had no reverence, let alone presence beforehand, to influence him strongly enough to trust her. She sounded perfectly dedicated and kind-hearted but wasn't that just an act? Wasn't that just the words of a fairy tale she herself had appeared in? If she couldn't answer how she got here, who's to say the person responsible for bringing her in here wouldn't step in at some point and unveil some devious plan. Like the first time it happened…

"guess you like doing things the hard way then… i think a sacrifice is ok as long as it leads to the right path, not when it's done to the ones you love for some sick genocide. sorry alice… i'm not risking that again." Sans spoke with a tone that meant he was shutting down any potential counterarguments.

He made his choice. He was going to try again but not with Alice. Even though she had lasted this long, she was an anomaly. He decided it was time to unleash his full power against the girl from Wonderland. After dodging a few more tea cups that attempted to crash onto him, he summoned another series of Gaster Blasters that sent blasts within the mist. It seemed as though the mysterious energy of the beams dispersed the mist and cleared it away, exposing the Mad Hatter who found himself blasted down by one of the beams. Alice had chosen to hide behind a pillar, at this point extremely concerned about her chances. As frustrating as it may have been to have all her pleas denied by Sans, she wasn't going to give up trying to prove herself and her DETERMINATION to him. Yet what she didn't realize as strongly as she should've was that he was going to prove himself right in condemning Alice to her death. Sans continued to speak to her as he started pressing his advantage with seeking Gaster Blasters,

"take it from me kid, someday… you gotta learn when to QUIT. and that day's today."

Napstablook at some point had entered the Hall of Judgement after the battle had began. In truth, he had been searching for Alice since he had gathered the determination to find her and aid her. Such thoughts had never crossed his mind before and it was these same thoughts that were showing Napstablook new parts of the Underground he had never seen before. A home that looked very cozy but had a somber feeling about it that would almost make it suitable for him to move in if he really wanted to. They had been early towns that the monsters must've built when they first came into the Underground. Now he was in this strange yet opulent chapel-like building. He vaguely understood that he may have been very close if not right inside King ASGORE's castle. It was daring, out of character even for him to be here. A ghost inside a chapel. Or at least he was to assume it was a chapel. He had heard some tales about the monsters having religious beliefs around Waterfall after all, not that Mettaton or any of his friends talked about it. Before he could reminisce in a somewhat absent-minded fashion, he quickly noticed that there was a great scene unraveling before him.

Alice was in a state of terror and franticness that he had never seen her before. She was dashing away from what could only be described as fossils and bones that apparently could shoot out beams of energy. He also made out a golden figure in a rather lavish outfit and a hat that he would almost imagine himself wearing in terms of it being an equally dapper hat. Then there was the monster attacking Alice. A skeleton from the looks of it, dressed in modern clothes, with a face that was pained, furious, cold, and frightening all at once. The sweat on his face gleamed in the rays of light emanating from the windows as he was dodging the golden figure, who had lunged forth with an attempt at a martial arts arm chop. If Napstablook was to be honest, it looked like the skeleton didn't want this fight at all but felt he had to do it and was giving it all he got. Alice was dodging these attacks, ever the Pacifist as she had said. Ever…

 __' _Indeed. I… just want you to know that I must sincerely thank you again for giving me that determination to keep going. I wouldn't even be here if I hadn't had your friendship and trust in me.' Alice said sweetly.'_

' _you didn't treat me any less than how i thought of myself… that was such a new experience for me and i liked it… and what you've done is admirable. you're always welcome… and you're welcome to come back and visit…"_

' _... Y-yeah… I would love that… and I would also love to free you…" Alice couldn't stop herself from feeling extremely sentimental and tears started to emerge in her eyes.'_

"i hope she's ok…" Napstablook murmured to himself as he hid behind a pillar and watched.

Not only would showing himself risk Alice's concentration and desire to save the Underground in a time like this but he was worried about what the skeleton would do to her should he find that there was another figure in the room. Part of it was also cowardice that he wasn't proud of. Determined as he was he wasn't at all comparable to the Undyne he lived next door to. Alice continued to act defensively towards the skeleton's attacks, though judging by her panting and the fact she looked rather disheveled compared to when he found her in the junkyard, she was not doing smoothly. The golden figure that Alice had summoned was narrowly missing his opponent at several times but the skeleton proved impressively evasive. _even though he's in slippers,_ Napstablook remarked as he thought back to times where he was stunned by Mettaton's incredible movements in challenging high-heels. The skeleton suddenly gave a put out expression and gave a shout of frustration that sounded more like a roar.

"you know alice, if you keep pushing me the way you are now, the way you've been since the beginning… i'll be forced to use my special attack. and you didn't last long enough to see papyrus do his." The skeleton taunted rather viciously.

"I'm pushing… huff… to save you Sans! I won't let anyone turn time back or RESET to cause harm again! I'm going to make a future for hopefully me, my friends, you, and all of the Underground! I just don't want… huff… any more lives to be lost!" Alice dropped the name of the skeleton while also making Napstablook's heart wince.

She sounded so invested into this that it was making Napstablook feel so shameful for not contributing sooner. She sounded heroic… more than a human child whose soul needed to be collected. Between the Ruins and Waterfall and now, Alice's earnest spirit and strong values weren't lost. Napstablook felt himself reignited with a sense of DETERMINATION at his best friend's courage. However, the skeleton now known as Sans, seemed to be on the verge of a breaking point. The question is, would Alice's words sway him or would-

"those are just pretty words from a pawn alice. you have no proof to justify you'll do as you say. i had proof from someone else and he's not here anymore! but i'll find him again and we'll have good times, good food, and a good future together… survive this and you'll see my special attack!" Sans abrupt declaration cut through Napstablook's thoughts.

Napstablook slightly cowered at that and at the building dread of what was about to happen to Alice. But on the contrary what ended up happening was that the golden figure was lifted into the air by some BLUE attack, They were suddenly carried down the hall and crashed into strategically placed bones as Alice watched in shock and dismay.

"No!" Alice yelped.

The figure did it's best to endure as it smashed through and was sent crashing into the bones but after another round of this, going back and forth down the hall, it suddenly dispersed into dust that ultimately dissolved into nothingness like sugar in tea. Alice had lost her main source of strength and the realization of her skyrocketing vulnerability was written all over her body language. Sans gave a look of slight excitement, realizing he had managed to wear Alice down to a point where he could likely swing the momentum in his favor. The look did not sit well with Napstablook, nor did the sight of strange skeletal heads flying upward into the air like a firework. They shot out a furious array of beams at Alice, the pattern being that of a rotation. Alice found herself fleeing forward towards Sans, barely outpacing the beams as she ran around the room.

"...h-he…" Nastablook was beginning to feel himself tearing up.

His tears dripped to the floor but in a much quicker pace than before. This was a level of magic that ghosts were capable of and as he was not at all the Undyne type, he hadn't ever really tested his potential. Why would he? His interests were about music, happiness, and entertaining similar to Mettaton. He wanted to be free but he was not about to hunt down or ruthlessly kill humans to do it. Yet he couldn't help but suddenly feel a surge of power flow through this tears and a certain strong emotion of protectiveness and slight rage towards what was happening to Alice. The DETERMINATION to get here and the DETERMINATION to protect her were uniting as one. The tears soon formed a puddle under Napstablook's hovering form, a pure white mirror in the shadowy hall. As it began to grow, Alice made an emboldened plea,

"Sans please! For the sake of all the monsters in the Underground, stop! There's no need for anymore bloodshed!"

Sans did not give her an answer, whether out of arrogance of cruelty or a sense of desperation to finish this as quickly as he could. He turned Alice's soul BLUE once more and to Napstablook's horror, flung her around the hall with his right eye flashing dangerous hues of blue and yellow. With each swift movement of his arm she crashed into the floor, the ceiling, pillars, and everywhere in between, having little time to groan and scream out in pain. The puddle started to shape into a river and flowed through the shadows, away from view. Napstablook felt his patience wear thin and knew that he couldn't allow his best friend to be treated so horrifically. Trying to think logically about how to go about this was difficult for him, someone who had been passive in the past and only just now started taking initiative. _i have to be something more than i have been before,_ Napstablook thought with an optimism he had started to adopt from Alice. The river of tears soon made a graceful arc behind Sans and took advantage of his focus on Alice to be deceptive and unnoticed. At the same time, Sans appeared to be concluding his assault on Alice, slamming her roughly to the ground face first. Dirt could be seen on Alice's skin and clothes though there appeared to be no blood at least but she couldn't pull herself up. She placed her hands in an attempt to do so but collapsed quickly under the weight of the soreness and pain her body was in. She didn't even have the stamina or will to cry properly at the pain.

"looks like i didn't need the special attack…" Sans shrugged.

In his heart, Sans felt a mix of emotions. Shame, disappointment, fulfillment, numbness, exhaustion, and a very small amount of hope. He was tired of hearing 'determination'. It was a word that always seemed to be misleading and never worked to help any of the Underground be free. That word was synonymous with the deaths of the monsters he loved and cherished and it also meant that for some reason, Alice had that same level of DETERMINATION and was using it in ways that made him uneasy. Knowing the story of Alice in Wonderland also said to him that this girl before him was not genuine and even if she was, what good would having an inquisitive girl with a short temper and easy gullibility for anything of interest do for their chances of freedom? Even her promises of another way seemed all but shut down, just like it seemed to have happened to Frisk. It all just seemed to repeat over and over… he was hoping Frisk would come back and make a positive change. _And he didn't come back…_ Sans thought, using his skill in hiding his emotions masterfully as he stared at Alice with a small smile. He could only hope that in the next timeline, Frisk would be back and he wouldn't have to be constantly paranoid about this new little girl.

"Mnnngh…" Alice finally found some gumption to push herself to one of her knees.

As she looked up, countless bones appeared and were aimed at her with the same presence as a rain of spears frozen in place. She knew very well already what those bones meant for her future and for a moment panic seized her. She felt the sting of fresh tears appear and her mind desperately thought back to what she felt was her comfort zone. The question of 'what would her sister do'? Would her sister have told her to run away? Tell her to accept the loss of the duel gracefully like a proper lady? Try one more time to get through to Sans? Stand against this oppression? After these thoughts came a moment of reflection for Alice. As much as she had struggled in the Underground and faced the threat of death more times than anyone could possibly imagine, if she were to fall here, the monsters would be free. But how would Papyrus react to losing her? How would humanity fare if King ASGORE led the charge to slay them? Would she be letting her sister's memory down? Or what if this was another test, another test of her conviction to SAVE? It was for that reason that she took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in her bones and muscles, and started to speak to Sans.

"... I-I understand... I've lost… and perhaps it is for the better… for your hopes and dreams… for me to fall by your hand. T-then that way… there'd be no need for a RESET… Y-you can just take my SOUL and deliver it to the King without any interference… and maybe you, Papyrus, and the others could finally be free."

Sans froze, and suddenly gave a look of anguish and franticness. Was he doing the right thing by slaying her and leaving Papyrus to wonder what ever happened to Alice? Was this really the hopes and dreams that Sans wanted out of life? For an 8th child to be killed? If things were to be RESET, could he bear having to pretend as though his brother never had a snowball fight with Alice or had someone who had spared him after several timelines of despair? Would being free make Papyrus the happiest he had ever been in life or would having Alice still alive be the real joy in his brother's future? Without explicitly stating it, Alice was asking Sans these questions and it for the first time since the hotel, Sans felt as though he was free to think more clearly. But what happened next shocked him even further. The sound of a dramatic splash filled the Hall of Judgement, as though the waterfalls of Waterfall (he scolded himself for this unconscious pun) had slammed into some rocks. Then he heard a voice he couldn't recall hearing before,

"you won't take her SOUL!"

A rush of white water swirled around Sans and soon surrounded him within a bubble of what was clearly monster's magic. While the water thankfully did not touch him, which already put Sans at a major disadvantage, it clearly was designed to trap him and keep him from being as evasive as he had been previously. In fact the water was being skillfully manipulated to open up a hole big enough for Sans to see Alice. He quickly started to look around for whoever was responsible for this. To his bafflement, and in some strange way relief, it appeared to be a ghost who floated up to his level of vision while Alice gave an expression of earnest surprise behind them. In some ways, this was honestly more terrifying than facing Chara down. Not only would a single touch from the water likely fell him but this sudden appearance from someone they had never seen before made this timeline even more of an anomaly in his mind. _Is this the extent of Alice's DETERMINATION? To be able to get someone new to come to their aid?_ He thought. In some ways he hoped this would be enough for him to stop having to fight.

"... i know i'm not that strong… or know what's going on between you two but… i won't ever let you hurt my friend!" The ghost shouted with conviction akin to Sans beloved brother.

"... a-are you… an accomplice or a friend?" Sans asked, suddenly feeling very touched and his eye's glow vanishing.

"i'm Napstablook… and I'm here to save my friend.. she's been going through so much and right now you mean to harm her. but i don't want that for her… she said she was going to break the barrier and… i believe her!" The ghost introduced themselves before reiterating what Alice had been saying all this time.

The last will of the persona and the stubbornness to not believe Alice, to distrust her, to think she was going to ultimately RESET the timeline and break his heart further wilted and faded away. In its place came a feeling of great shame and regret but also relief. Sans winced and looked to be tearing up as he saw that not only was Napstablook backing up Alice's claims, but that someone else besides his brother would also want to see her live rather than be killed and used. As much as he had wanted to try to get the timeline back to what he believed would happen, to bring Frisk back from wherever they went off to, to not trust any strange changes in this timeline, and the mystery of whether or not Alice was a genuine living being, he had to concede. He had to concede at long last that Alice was the kind of person who would bring an end to the Genocide. He also had to admit that he had probably not acted within his brother's best wishes. It was time to start thinking more about what would really make the Underground's residents happy. Sans fell to his knees and whimpered,

"i think… i-i can believe her too…"

Napstablook looked at Sans with a bit of surprise but also relief that he seemed to be softening up and showing emotion. The past few moments when Alice had spoken with the power and good-naturedness that made her so inspirational to him, Sans had seemed very torn. Perhaps whatever happened to Sans had given him a sort of post-trauma and had made him so resilient to accepting Alice's words. It took the ghost's own presence, his own DETERMINATION built upon the time spent with her that allowed Sans to see how far Alice was willing to go. Granted he was sure there was much more to the story than he overheard. Yet, being able to save his friend as he did just now, made him feel as though he could take on the world and celebrate who he was now. The bones that hung over Alice fell to the ground weakly and harmlessly and Napstablook quickly dispelled the dome and river of tears that threatened Sans. Sans had his hands on his knees and was sobbing tearfully. It reminded Napstablook of the day he realized he was all alone, with no family around and having to tend to the snails himself. At the same time though, it also meant that Sans had room to find a new friend and comfort in the future at someone else's hands. Napstablook turned around and hovered towards Alice who still looked pained but also had a sparkle of joy in her eye.

"alice are you alright? i wanted to help you… a-after what you did for Mettaton… i'm glad i came in time…" Napstablook said, suddenly feeling slightly modest opening up about what pushed him to come on his own terms.

"I feel quite alright now… it's all thanks to you Napsta. I'm so happy…!" Alice, tearing up once again, pretended to grasp Napstablook's transparent body in a hug.

No further words truly needed to be exchanged between the two friends. They were at a sure point where they could each understand each other's emotions and thoughts perfectly. Alice was proud of Napstablook's newfound confidence and how he heroically protected and talked Sans down from continuing his desperate struggle. She never fathomed this sort of intervention and perhaps she should've known that even when her fate seemed to be sealed, there would still be a way to pacify even Sans. At the same time though, it was clear Sans was very much still in pain and had been clashing with her not only as a judgement to prove she could survive but also as a desperate denial to prevent being betrayed again. She couldn't condemn Sans despite all his hostility in the past, she had made a few social mistakes of her own after all, but she sensed she needed to make amends and help him feel freed of what was clearly a chain of despair. Despite still feeling rather sore, Alice was able to pick herself up to her feet and gazed at the crying skeleton.

"You finally believe in me Sans?" She asked.

"... I-I really, really wanted to at first… w-when I heard you spare the woman in the ruins I was feeling like everything was going to be alright... but when I saw you instead of Frisk… when you were offended and complaining about my brother... I was baffled and scared… everything that came after I couldn't predict. I couldn't be sure… then when I heard you were the spitting image of a character in a book… I wasn't even sure you were real… I-I thought you were just going to be someone used to deceive us and steal away our chance to be free from this hell… For my brother's sake… I wanted you to not see the King and risk a nightmare in the making… I-I've seen too many paths where our chances seemed good but then everything went to ruin… I'm the only one who remembers it all too." Sans confessed tearfully.

"that's so cruel… why is that?" Napstablook asked.

"... i've had time to look over things that've been going on down here… and things that other monsters don't know… not even king asgore would know… it's a blessing and a curse… I've promised someone not to intervene if a child falls down and it's this same child that's been so cruel and heartless after once being a potential savior in the previous times… but now you're here alice and i finally see that you mean well. even though we've been jerks and hunted you down and put you through so much and questioned your very being it's clear you were able to spare all the monsters in the Underground and you even made friendships stronger than i've seen before… and i also believe that you may not have any secrets that you are hiding from us." Sans stared at Alice, smiling.

"That means a lot to me Sans. I know how hard it must be for you to open up to any sort of human child after having to go through what you went through so many times. If I myself went through Wonderland as many times as you had I don't know how I'd behave afterward." Alice sympathized with him.

"... i know… it hurts too much for me to have to face Papyrus again and again knowing he wants to capture a human that might kill him… i want to go towards the future but i've nearly given up thinking it's possible…"

Alice seemed to think for a few moments as Sans looked down at the ground weakly. Napstablook watched the whole scene with surprise, sympathy, and relief at the tension completely dispersing from earlier. He himself was amazed to hear that so many wild and downright terrifying events had happened in the Underground without him realizing it. Let alone the idea that events had been repeating as well without him remembering a child other than Alice being here. He was relieved though to have his memories of what was happening now and that they were true. He then saw Alice walk over to Sans and hug him very tightly. Sans pupils flashed in surprise as Alice said words of liberation,

"Then allow me. I'll free you from the burden of your past and allow you to truly live on once and for all."

It was what Sans had needed to hear for so long. He sobbed some more and hugged Alice back closely, thankful for her forgiveness, her belief in him, and her resilience in finding a way to free everyone instead of all but one. Some time passed afterward in which Sans, Alice, and Napstablook were all calmed down and ready to discuss what was to come next in the journey. The judgement had ultimately ended with a success on Alice's part but there was more that needed to be addressed.

"now. you're about to face the greatest challenge of your entire journey. your actions here… will determine the fate of the entire world. if you refuse to fight… asgore will take your soul and destroy humanity." Sans addressed the elephant in the room.

"you don't think he would listen to reason…? i-i mean… the king is the king but his subjects should have a say too… mettaton would never want humanity to be killed…" Napstablook stepped into the conversation.

"you're right to some extent napstablook. but the king's been through as much pain as i have… and for longer. you've heard the monsters say it… undyne… cats... ... me. there's a limit to how much longer we can wait… and they want vengeance as well… that hardly ever goes well. but if alice were to kill asgore and go home… well that eliminates the only chance of monsters being freed from the underground." Sans explained.

"It'd be silly at this point to free myself when I'm not certain if I have a home to return to… I promise not to harm the king." Alice said sincerely.

Sans regarded Alice's words carefully. There was something he wanted to say but realized that sharing it now may prove hazardous and dangerous. The last thing he needed was for Alice to second-guess herself and lead to more mistakes being potentially made. Before he could speak again, Alice continued,

"And I promise not to RESET either. I'll see things to the very end and ensure our future."

"... you… don't have to promise that alice... i trust you. besides i hate making promises. the best tibia I can give you is to just do your best and don't lose your DETERMINATION." Sans answered Alice in the most ideal way he could.

"But I know you don't want-"

"please alice… i don't want you to feel you absolutely have to do something to appease me. if you can find the other way to break the barrier without bloodshed then that'll mean much more to me than not having to RESET for one reason or another." Sans winked at her.

Alice looked a little disappointed. Perhaps she really did want to give Sans the comfort and assurance that she would not do the thing he dreaded most. Still it was his words and trying to argue against him would probably hurt his feelings more since he sounded completely fine with her not having to promise that to him. So Alice simply nodded in agreement and waited for Sans to speak again. To her surprise, Sans said something that made her suddenly feel much more confident,

"however, it may be a good idea for you to bring napstablook along to see asgore."

"R-really?" She yelped.

"i... i'll go with her to see him…?" Napstablook was naturally just as surprised.

"i'm positive. if something were to go awry he'd be able to help keep you safe… and maybe he has a point too about being a voice for the monsters who don't want to slay humanity if you are to negotiate with the king. it's a good idea." Sans said.

"Oh Sans! Thank you so much! I do believe Napstablook and I could be able to persuade the king to seek another way! Although is that fine with you Napsta? I wouldn't want you do something you weren't entirely comfortable with." Alice regarded her friend politely.

Napstablook was amazed and honestly embarrassed to suddenly be trusted and depended on for such a big mission and undertaking as speaking with the king and trying to get him to spare humanity when they were freed. In truth the main motivation for wanting to spare humanity was because he knew Mettaton wanted to show his star power to any audience waiting in the wings to see him. Alice had also proven to be someone he wanted to protect and spend more time with and thus it showed humanity had truly good people. It wasn't all set in stone that they were evil and criminals like his neighbor Undyne thought, it was much more open-minded and deep than that. Yet going to face the ruler of the Underground was so intense and so daunting… and he only mustered up the power to stop Sans from wanting to keep Alice safe. What if he wasn't strong enough or confident enough to do the same against the King?

' _Napstablook… perhaps you'd like to accompany me on my journey again? I'm nearly at the castle I believe and maybe you could see Meta-'_

' _Napstablook sharply shook his head though.'_

"... i said no to you before didn't I… i'm sorry alice..." Napstablook said in realization.

"No I understood completely at the time why you didn't wish to come. Right now it's very much the same situation. Anyone would be intimidated to meet royalty and-"

"i'm coming along this time… i want to be able to help you more… and i don't want anything bad to happen to you…" Napstablook sounded more sure of himself than ever before.

Frankly Alice was extremely touched, if a little flustered by such a selfless gesture spoken in such a gallant way. _I wonder if this is the first of many times in my life where someone will offer such assistance to me,_ Alice had a slightly off-track thought. She also noticed Sans was eyeing her with puzzlement before looking as though he had a sudden revelation and grinning. Or frowning. Or both. Alice wasn't quite able to tell. Granted she realized her reaction was making the situation rather awkward rather than resolute so she shook her head of any lackadaisical thoughts.

"Well… thank you very much Napstablook. I am hoping for the best from this endeavour." Alice said, sounding ready to go.

"you know alice… if i were you, i would've thrown in the towel by now. but you didn't get this far by giving up, did you? you've made strong allies and you have the "determination" in your heart to see this through. as long as you hold onto that, i believe you can do the right thing. and that ghostfriend of yours can help you through it." Sans spoke the last part with a strange playfulness that Alice couldn't understand.

"oh... um… sure… i'll do my best." Napstablook appeared unusually flustered but perhaps it was out of nerves.

"Thank you Sans. I promise not to let you down or anyone else who has rested their hopes and dreams on the chance at freedom." Alice pledged her goal to him and in her heart, to Frisk, Asriel, her sister, and Dinah.

"we're all counting on you, kid. good luck." Sans waved good-bye to them before exiting the Hall of Judgement through a shortcut.

Alice took a deep breath and sighed. In some truth she felt as though pacifying Sans himself had been the most difficult part of her journey but it seemed Sans knew better in that the king would be no easy challenge either. Her bones and muscles weren't aching much if at all now at least and Napstablook being with her now gave her much needed company. She looked to him with a confident smile.

"We'll depart whenever you are ready Napsta." She said.

"we can go now… i'm prepared… i just hope nothing bad happens." Napstablook admitted.

 _I have a suspicion that something bad could occur but that we'll be able to handle it,_ Alice thought. Worrying Napstablook wasn't the most courteous thing to do right now so she didn't say it aloud. Instead she pretended to pat his body in reassurance and he seemed to appreciate it. With the Hall of Judgement now silent in its radiant glory, the two friends of DETERMINATION and hope made their way towards the final destination. The went down a hallway similar to the ones leading to New Home and detected a sign that said 'Throne Room' clear as day. Continuing the down the corridor was fairly quiet and somber, with both friends focused on their goal rather than trying to catch up on old times. Both were fine with the silence though as they knew they had the trust and support of their friends in the Underground. Though something extraordinary and rather alarming awaited them as they came down a large flight of stairs. There was a set of coffins lined in a row before them, with a different colored heart on each of them. Blue, green, yellow, orange, and the closest coffin bearing a red heart.

"... So this is… how tragic…" Alice regarded the coffins with more pity than fear.

It was incredibly clear that these coffins were belonging to the fallen children of the Underground. Their SOULS had long been taken and it seemed that Asgore was content with leaving them in fairly standard-sized coffins made of stone. Alice was confident that none of these coffins belonged to Frisk based on the story that Sans and Frisk had told. Yet she was fairly taken aback when she noticed the red coffin was entitled "Chara". _The first child to die in the Underground…_ Alice thought grimly. Yet she suddenly recalled Frisk's description regarding Chara being an ally and also becoming a ghost despite their SOUL having passed on. It seemed odd then for there to be a coffin for them despite what happened to them being so long ago. _Maybe it truly was to pay respects for their lost adopted son,_ Alice concluded with sadness. Napstablook seemed less shaken by the sight though was still a bit uncomfortable.

"... these are where the bodies of the fallen children are… i never imagined it'd be right outside the throne room… i figured they'd have buried them in one of the lands somewhere." Napstablook admitted.

"It's possible King Asgore wished to have them contained in one area as a sort of remembrance of their goal." Alice offered.

But then that made Alice realize an inconsistency. Would Chara's SOUL really have gone as far as it did to the Ruins if they had lived their life within this entire New Home and castle? Frisk had said they were approached by Chara just like Alice was in this timeline so it implied that Chara had all along been in the Ruins. _Maybe he was buried there instead and this coffin is some sort of display?_ Alice pondered with confusion and unease. It would make more sense if that was the case for Chara to not have a coffin if they were buried more respectfully by their adoptive royal family. After all, Asriel was still around at that time and had taken Chara's SOUL after they died according to the story. Yet here was Chara's coffin, unburied. Or perhaps they were planning to reuse this coffin for a future fallen human? Presumably herself? It was hard to say. For a moment Alice considered prying the coffin open but she felt it was very rude and disrespectful to do so. It also didn't seem very positive to try opening it in front of Napstablook. So instead she dusted off her apron skirt and regarding the pathway that was to her left.

"I believe the Throne Room is right beyond that way… are you doing alright Napstablook?" Alice asked.

"i'm... a little outside of my comfort zone right now but… i am determined to help this time… and it is pretty interesting to learn about thing i had no idea about… let's be careful though…" Napstablook said earnestly.

Alice nodded in agreement and the two of them proceeded down the pathway. Contrary to her assumption, it instead lead to another set of stairs leading upward. Alice slightly envied Napstablook's ability to levitate as she was feeling these stairs were rather daunting and each step made her nervous about what was to come. Reaching the top of the stairs provided a path through another hallway and down that hallway was an entranceway with fresh grass and foliage growing right outside and on the ceiling. There was no more doubts about it, this was the entrance in to the Throne Room. Alice briefly recalled how the Queen of Hearts didn't have so much a throne room as she had a labyrinth of curious designs, an elaborate courtroom, and trees of painted roses. Somehow she felt as though Asgore's throne room would be much more majestic than even that architecture from Wonderland. It was also contain so much more importance and history than any place alice had ever been to. Regardless of how things were to happen, Alice knew she had to treat the place with respect and dignity and muster up everything she had learned for this moment. With Napstablook at her side, she proceeded into the Throne Room.

To Be Continued...


End file.
